Study 04: The Scattered Slime

Study 04:
The Scattered Slime

 

“Wow, Fuso really did cause some problems!”

Back in the present, Lime and Sapphee laughed together in the café in Lindworm. It was easy to joke about it now, but back when they were young, Fuso’s dependency had been a traumatic experience for Glenn, Sapphee, and even for Lime.

“Seriously…no doctor can fix a sick personality,” Sapphee said.

“I wonder what she’s doing now, yeah?”

“I heard she signed an exclusive contract with Loose Silk Sewing. She’s their most distinguished designer. She’s so famous that even Arahnia knows her. I don’t know where she’s based, but apparently she’s quite busy, and has many apprentices.”

Lime’s green face darkened. “Hopefully she won’t hear about Glenn…”

Sapphee sipped her tea.

Lime frowned at her. “You’re not drinking, yeah?”

“Alcohol? No. I need to go back to the clinic after this.”

“I always picture you drinking alcohol, yeah?”

“Maybe because someone is always causing me stress,” Sapphee said.

The bubbly slime pretended not to notice.

“It looks like Fuso is living her own life,” Sapphee said. “She’s not so attached to humans anymore…at least, I don’t think she is.”

“So, wishful thinking, yeah?”

“Shut up,” Sapphee snapped.

The notes of a song drifted over. It was Lulala, singing in the square adjacent to the café. Her songs were famous in Lindworm now, but they were also a reminder of the past.

Sapphee’s break was almost over.

“Shall we keep going?” Lime asked.

“Me, you, and Glenn. We saw so many patients at the Academy. Sure, we worked together in the lab, but Glenn got even busier after that. That’s why he’s forgotten…but even so.”

“It’s okay,” Lime said, contemplating her balloon-like fingers. “Sapphee…I wanted to talk to someone about what happened after that. Because, I really can’t tell anyone…”

When Sapphee looked up, she realized that the normally-cheerful Lime had tears in her eyes.

“Go ahead, then,” Sapphee said. “It all started when—”

“When Dr. Cthulhy made that unbelievable announcement before the final exam, yeah!”

Lime’s sudden, cheerful tone made Sapphee doubt whether she’d really been about to cry.

 

***

 

They were in a classroom at the Nemea Academy.

In front of them, Cthulhy stood behind a podium, watching her students with sharp eyes, as though she was trying to work out which of them would become capable doctors.

Class had ended, but the students were still in their seats, awaiting a big announcement. Final exams were in a week, so the atmosphere was tense.

“Has anyone heard of a city called Lindworm? Raise your hand if you have,” Cthulhy said.

About seventy percent of the students raised their hands. It was famous as a city where humans and monsters lived together. Glenn, of course, raised his hand, too.

“Now then, who can name the representative of that city? Saphentite.” Cthulhy pointed with her stick.

“Skadi Dragenfelt,” Sapphee answered right away.

“Correct. She is a friend of mine.” Cthulhy let out a loud sigh. “Lindworm is a new city. Thus, there are very few doctors there with the skill to treat a multitude of monsters. Skadi is looking for medical professionals to offer cutting-edge treatment. Not old-fashioned doctors who can only see certain species, or traditional healers who use things like faith and fortune-telling.”

As Glenn listened, he couldn’t help but think that this was all rather ridiculous. There was no one who could perform such integrated medicine. No one except Cthulhy.

“So, in two years, I will be moving to Lindworm,” said Cthulhy.

The students gasped in shock.

“Doctor? You’re going to Lindworm?”

“You’re going to abandon your teaching?!”

“What are we going to do? We need you!”

“Okay, okay, quiet down. This has already been decided. I will leave the Academy in two years. I have already spoken to Dean Rheocles. Associate Professor Nye will take over, so everyone still here will learn from her.”

The commotion only got worse. Glenn was just as confused as everyone else. If Cthulhy was leaving, that meant that she wouldn’t be around for the end of his schooling, no matter how fast he worked. He was so surprised by this news, he couldn’t even speak.

“Quiet! I haven’t even gotten to the best part. Yes, I’ll be going to Lindworm, but I’m not going to abandon my responsibilities here.”

Everyone fell quiet at that.

“I will permit promising students to join me in Lindworm. They will study and work under me at the hospital I shall open there. It will be intense. But those who are passionate about medicine, who are prepared to learn on the job and, of course, who have high enough grades, are invited to join me in Lindworm.”

The students took a deep, collective breath, but Cthulhy still wasn’t done.

“The very best of the best—students whose knowledge and skill I can attest to—will be permitted to open a clinic in Lindworm. Listen well, because I’m only going to say this once. Any student who secures the necessary score will become a doctor. Any first-years and second-years are welcome to skip ahead. If your dream is to become a doctor, this is your chance. Anyone not prepared for this is exempt.”

The classroom started buzzing again.

“What does that mean?”

“I could become a doctor without graduating?”

“Is she going to grant medical licenses to people who don’t finish their studies?”

“Idiot! Dr. Cthulhy would never give out a license to someone who doesn’t understand doctoral procedures.”

“This is happening in just two years…”

“It’s even harder than graduating normally…”

Everyone was talking at once.

The doctor’s program at the Nemea Academy was a six-year course, but now they all had two years to finish, regardless of where they were in the program.

Glenn was stunned.

Lindworm…! Even if I graduate, I don’t know if I’ll be able to find a place where I can work and live in the monster realm. But Lindworm doesn’t have any species barriers. Even a human like me can become a doctor…at least, I think so! I need to make this my new goal…

He was hanging on Cthulhy’s every word.

“I will not set a limit,” she said. “Two students could receive their license. Or ten! On the other hand, anyone who doesn’t meet the requirements will not be certified, no matter how long you are here. Do you all understand? Those are the stakes. If you are capable, I will grant you a full score. If you are not, you will be given a zero. I will be strict.”

Cthulhy wasn’t someone inclined to play favorites, or to be lax with them. True, she paid more attention to the students she liked, and Glenn was one of them, but she also expected far more of those students. This part of her personality was often misunderstood. Even if she liked a student, she expected them to work hard, and she always maintained boundaries.

That’s why it’s strange that she’s so close to Lime…

Glenn chuckled to himself, but then realized he was being condescending. He needed to focus on his own path. To continue learning under Cthulhy, he needed to prove that he was capable of accompanying her to Lindworm, which meant he needed to spend his remaining two years studying even harder than before.

“It will be tough, but I will reward anyone who is prepared to do what it takes,” Cthulhy said. “That is all.”

In his mind, Glenn’s goals had already shifted.

 

***

 

“You sure are enthusiastic,” Sapphee remarked.

She was gathering her research reports while Glenn read a thick medical textbook, taking notes sparingly. Paper was a precious commodity, but it was impossible to get by without using at least some of it. He only noted down the things he absolutely had to remember.

“Huh? Sapphee, did you say something?”

“Nothing. I’m sorry to interrupt you.”

“Yeah.”

Glenn only lifted his head for a moment, then he was buried in his studies again. He’d always maintained a high level of concentration, but this was something else.

“He’s really working hard, yeah,” said Lime.

Sapphee finished collecting reports and started pruning herbs. “Of course he is. After an announcement like that…”

Lime grinned as she watched Glenn, buried in his book. “Glenn, name the bones in the hind legs of a centaur, starting with the femur.”

“Femur, patella, tibia, fibula, tarsals, metatarsals…”

“Wow! I don’t know what the answer is, but you’re probably right! Amazing, Glenn, yeah!”

Glenn hadn’t even looked up. Sapphee looked disgusted that Lime was asking questions that she didn’t even know the answer to, but Lime didn’t seem to care.

“Hee hee. At this rate, he just might get to go with Cthulhy to Lindworm, yeah?”

“I’m sure that’s what he’s aiming for. I’m glad he’s working hard, but I’m a little worried. Glenn, don’t overdo it.”

Glenn grunted. It was hard to tell if he was listening or not.

Sapphee sighed.

“What are you going to do, Sapphee? Are you going to open a pharmacy…?”

Sapphee shook her head. She looked resigned. “I can’t. There’s no way I can obtain all the knowledge I need to open a pharmacy in just two years. I was planning to just keep studying until I graduate…but that won’t be easy, either. I think my only choice is to work under Dr. Cthulhy and help her mix medicines.”

“In that case, your path is to work at her hospital as a pharmacist? You don’t want to work with a doctor in Lindworm?”

“If I could, that would be the best option,” Sapphee said, glancing over at Glenn.

Her expectations for him were high.

“What are you going to do, Lime? Are you going with Dr. Cthulhy?”

“Hmmm…I guess I probably will, yeah.”

“Won’t it be really hard working at the hospital, though?” Sapphee asked.

“It’ll be fine, yeah!”

Lime sure was optimistic. Although she claimed she never studied, she was as cheerful as ever.

“I want to go to Lindworm,” Glenn said.

“Were you even listening?”

Glenn still didn’t lift his head from the textbook. “I was.”

The ability to concentrate on one thing without losing sight of everything else was an important skill for a doctor. Sapphee took a break to make some tea for him. She set the water to boiling on the stove.

“I want to learn more about monsters,” he said.

“I think you’ve learned plenty already,” Sapphee said.

“It’s not enough. When I treated Cerve, I relied too much on textbooks. With Fuso… I mean, I didn’t know the first thing about the silkworm gods. There’s still so much I don’t know.”

“Glenn…”

“My parents were against me coming to the Nemea Academy, and the prejudice against monsters is still strong back home. On the other hand, coming to this school has allowed me to reevaluate what I consider to be rare or unique.” Glenn finally lifted his head, looking straight at Sapphee. “I…like monsters.”

Sapphee’s eyes widened with surprise.

“I’m interested in their ecology,” Glenn said. “And how all of the various species have their own unique lifestyles and cultures. No matter how much I read, it’s not enough.”

“Wh-what, is that all?”

“Sapphee?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Sapphee turned away, clearly annoyed. Lime grinned.

“I want to learn more about monsters, like you two. I want to get to know you better. I want to help monsters. That’s why I want to be a doctor. And…someday, I want to be a bridge that brings humans and monsters together.”

“So, that’s why you spend so much time with us, yeah?” Lime snickered.

Glenn’s expression remained serious.

“That’s weird, yeah,” said Lime. “We’re right here. If you want to get to know us, then just go ahead. You don’t need big life goals to do that, yeah?”

“It’s fine. This is good, Glenn.” Sapphee smiled gently and poured tea for them. “It may look easy, but it’s actually quite difficult to get to know other species. Glenn understands that, and that’s why he wants to be a doctor. He isn’t just thinking about us. He’s thinking about every single species on the continent.”

“I-It’s not that big of a deal.” Glenn waved his hand, flustered. “I’m just interested.”

“You’re doing an amazing thing, Glenn,” said Sapphee.

That’s why he wanted to go to Lindworm. It was a town where humans and monsters lived together. Maybe he could learn more just by living there. Sapphee tried to imagine how humans and monsters could cohabit, what sorts of possibilities that might present. Maybe it would end up changing the entire continent.

“That’s why I study so much. Once I graduate, that’s not the end of it.”

“Glenn?”

“There’s always going to be so much more to learn,” he said. “I’m sure that in Lindworm I’ll have to see way more patients. Not all of them will have common symptoms. I plan to continue studying monsters until I die.”

Lime stared at Glenn, open-mouthed. “Whoa…”

“I will always need to keep researching what patients are thinking, what they’re seeking… then I can decide how to proceed. You two taught me that, here in this laboratory.”

“Heh! Is that so?” said Lime. “You’re embarrassing me!”

“Don’t make fun of him,” Sapphee said gently.

Glenn made a fist in front of his chest. “That’s why I’m going to Lindworm.”

“I’m sure you can do it.” Sapphee nodded. “But don’t overdo it, Glenn.”

“That’s right! You should never overdo it, yeah!”

“Maybe you could stand to overdo it a little, Lime,” Sapphee retorted. “Ever try studying?”

Lime squirmed in protest. “Wha?!”

“On the other hand,” Sapphee admitted. “You’re really good at knowing what people want. That’s a necessary quality in medicine.”

“Heh heh. Really? I’m just getting praised all over the place today, yeah!”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but you are an important member of the lab.”

“Hee hee. Well, even though I’m not good at studying, I have an important mission, yeah! I haven’t been at the Academy all this time for nothing!”

“You’ve been here so long because you can’t advance to the next level…” Sapphee muttered.

Glenn had grown quiet again, but his ears were red. Maybe he was embarrassed to speak his goals out loud. Sapphee noticed that he had dark circles under his eyes. The lab wasn’t the only place he studied. After returning to his dorm at night, he probably kept reading by lamp light. Sapphee really hoped he didn’t push himself too hard.

“Maybe I’ll become a pharmacist. Then Glenn and I could work together.” Sapphee said quietly, so Glenn wouldn’t hear her.

But Lime did hear, and she smiled.

Rather than worrying about the future, Glenn focused on the book in front of him and continued his research.

 

***

 

“I’m late…”

The sun had already set over the Nemea Academy, and Glenn was running. All the students lived in dorms, but Glenn’s was impossibly far from the medical department. If he didn’t hurry back, they’d lock him out.

Sapphee always told him to leave early, but he preferred to stay in the lab as long as possible. Obviously, the other students in his dorm were all monsters and they weren’t medical students, so very few of them were willing to talk to Glenn. He wanted to get to know his dormmates, but his roommate had decided they couldn’t live with a human and dropped out of the Academy, so Glenn was left in his room alone.

After that traumatic experience, he didn’t know how to even try and get along with the rest of the dorm. Perhaps he should talk to Lime about it.

“Once I get to the dorm, I need to eat dinner, then I’ll review…ummm, I think it was skin and respiratory diseases and treatment in amphibious monsters? Oh, and I have to finish my report, and…”

As usual, Glenn was muttering to himself. His dorm was at the bottom of a steep staircase. It was dark, and as such it wasn’t a popular spot. Many a student had slipped and gotten hurt, but the Academy was a growing campus within a growing city, and everyone was busy, so fixing this tiny staircase wasn’t on anyone’s list of priorities.

“Ohh…I forgot it’s my turn to clean the dorms tomorrow. I have to do that, too.”

Glenn groaned. He needed to be more organized, especially if he wanted to become a great doctor. He came to the Academy to achieve his dreams, and even gone against his parents’ wishes.

“Father, Mother, Sioux…”

Glenn hurried the narrow stairs. He’d never thought he would be homesick, but when things got rough, he thought of his family. His father had practically disowned him, but that didn’t mean Glenn had stopped caring.

If he ever went back, it would be as a successful doctor. Glenn wouldn’t allow it any other way.

“I wonder how they are? I hope Sioux is doing well.”

He preferred to focus on his cheerful younger sister. He didn’t care so much about his older brother. He’d practically welcomed Glenn running away.

Glenn wondered if Sioux was healthy, and hoped his parents hadn’t fallen ill. In the moments when he did think of his family, he always ended up wondering about their health.

He was only a little sleep-deprived, but he had a lot on his mind and wasn’t watching his step. That was why it happened.

“What—?”

He took a step down, but there was no step to meet his foot. In his haste, he’d lost his footing.

“Ahhh!”

Glenn’s world spun. He fell down the staircase in the dark, too exhausted to catch himself.

“Er…”

He could see stars. He’d fallen from very high up and suffered a blow to his occipital region. He was bleeding. Curious. He could catalog his symptoms, but he couldn’t move. Nor did he feel any pain.

Ahh, this isn’t good.

The lack of pain meant the injury was severe. He was going numb. If he didn’t do something soon, he’d be in real trouble. Glenn knew that, but as soon as he realized it, his consciousness went out like a light. As though someone had blown out a candle.

 

***

 

“You didn’t need to come, Lime.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s a great opportunity, yeah! And it’s almost curfew. They might not let a female student in.”

“You’re not planning on taking a male form, are you?”

“Just long enough to give this to the RA!”

Two women carefully descended the uneven staircase to the boys’ dormitory.

“Glenn is so careless,” Sapphee said. “I can’t believe he forgot his textbook.”

“Heh heh. You’re the one who suggested coming all the way out here to give it back. You want to see him that badly, yeah?”

“It’s not like that.”

Sure, Glenn would be back tomorrow, and he could wait until then to get his book back but, in truth, Sapphee and Lime wanted to see him.

The Nemea Academy produced excellent students. In other words, it had a strict curriculum. Friendships between students were an irreplaceable part of the experience. Wanting to see Glenn’s face, even for a moment, was normal. At least, that’s what Sapphee told herself.

“Huh?”

At the bottom of the stairs, Sapphee saw the outline of a body.

It actually took her a moment to notice the shape. Lamia could detect heat, and Sapphee often used this ability to complement her eyesight, especially in the dark. The fact that she hadn’t notice the fallen person right away meant that they’d been lying there long enough to get cold.

Sapphee screamed. “Glenn…? Glenn?!”

Lime was still catching up. “Er, ah, huh?!”

Sapphee could barely keep it together, but passing out wouldn’t help. Glenn had fallen. That was all she needed to jump into action.

“Glenn, can you hear me?! Glenn?!”

She followed the emergency first aid procedures that had been drilled into her—leaning close to his face to make sure he was still breathing and wrapping her tail around his wrist to check his pulse.

“He’s breathing, and he has a pulse, but…” Both were incredibly weak. He was in serious danger. “Glenn! Open your eyes, Glenn!”

That’s when she realized her hands were covered with blood. There was a wound somewhere on the back of his head.

Sapphee was on the verge of panic. “No, no… it can’t be, no, Glenn.”

This much blood meant a laceration of the scalp. Even if she acted quickly, it could be fatal.

“You said you were going to be a doctor and go to Lindworm! You can’t give up now… Glenn!”

But he couldn’t hear her.

“Not yet, yeah,” Lime said.

She transformed herself into a sheet and wrapped himself around him, closing over his wounds and making sure that his mouth and nose were still exposed, so he could breathe. For now, she could keep him safe and stable.

“We don’t have time to take him to the hospital,” Lime said. “I’m going to bring him to the treatment room. Go get Dr. Cthulhy! She’ll still be in the classroom.”

“But Lime…in that state, even Dr. Cthulhy can’t—”

“I’m not giving up!” Lime exclaimed. “I’ve stopped the bleeding and I can protect him for a short while. But we need Dr. Cthulhy to look at him right away! If you’re going to be a doctor, then you can’t ever give up until it’s over, yeah?!”

“Oh…” Sapphee caught herself. She’d almost given in to despair. “Yes. You’re right. Of course.”

“I’ll go as fast as I can,” said Lime. “So keep up!”

Even wrapped around Glenn’s body, she could move quickly. And her slime could absorb enough of the impact to cushion him.

How long can he last? Sapphee thought. Ten minutes? Fifteen? Can he be treated in time?

She was a prodigy in her own right, and she used her superior brain to calculate every minute possibility. Still, in the end, all she could do was pray that he would stay alive long enough.

 

***

 

“Head contusion…skull fracture…” Cthulhy examined Glenn in a voice as cool and calm as ice. That was the level of stoicism required of a doctor. “There is damage to his skull. He has lost a lot of blood. If there is brain damage—”

“Wh-what?” Sapphee interrupted.

Even in the Nemea Academy, with its advanced medical program, brain damage was almost always fatal. Cthulhy might not be able to save him, even with an operation.

“If the fractured skull has pierced his brain, then there’s nothing we can—”

“No, Dr. Cthulhy! Isn’t there anything you can do?!”

“If there was, I’d already be doing it.”

Sapphee clung to Cthulhy, who was trying to comfort her. The treatment room fell silent.

They had to do something fast. Sapphee couldn’t stand it.

Cthulhy’s expression was stern. “Luckily, he’s still breathing. Perhaps the damage to the brain is minimal. We need to drain the blood and stitch the wound.”

Sapphee had a sinking feeling. Even if they saved his life, the chances were there would be lasting side effects. He might develop a memory disorder or learning disabilities. Perhaps, he would even have to give up on becoming a doctor.

“Dr. Cthulhy…I’ll help. I’ll do whatever I can!”

“Stop being ridiculous. Sapphee, Lime, you both need to leave the room. You’re not doctors and you can’t help. Let me take care of this!”

“But if there are aftereffects, then Glenn’s dream—”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Cthulhy snapped. “I’ll do my best. That’s all I can do. The only thing you two can do right now is pray.”

Sapphee looked down at Glenn. They’d bandaged his head, but he was still bleeding a little. The wound must be deep. What medicine did he need? What treatment? No matter how much she’d learned, there was nothing she could do.

“Dr. Cthulhy,” Lime said quietly, putting her hand under Glenn’s head. Her fingers melted to form a pillow. “That method would be the best option right now, yeah? Don’t you think?”

“No, Lime. We can’t do that.”

“Isn’t that why we’ve been working together for so long? The animal trials are complete.”

“I said no.”

Sapphee looked between them. “L-Lime? What are you talking about? Is there a way to save him? But…you were always sleeping during neurology class.”

“Heh. There’s another way, yeah.”

Lime looked proud and incredibly sure of herself.

Cthulhy let out a deep sigh. “Fine. We’ll try. If we’re lucky, it will save his life with very few aftereffects. If not…”

“U-um, Dr. Cthulhy? What are you talking about?”

“Come on, Sapphee. You know I don’t like incompetence. Lime gets poor grades on all her tests. She never listens in class. Why would I keep such a student by my side for so long?”

Lime opened her mouth in protest, but then seemed to think better of it.

“The ancestors of scyllas were once called malevolent gods,” said Cthulhy.

“Y-yes,” said Sapphee. “I know the legend.” Scyllas were descended from evil deities of the deep seas. It was a legacy that they weren’t particularly fond of, and generally tried to keep secret.

“Those malevolent gods apparently employed slime-like creatures to care for them. These creatures were called shoggoths. The shoggoths had amorphous bodies and could take on any shape. They could be used for battle and household chores…and even to repair damaged organs.” Cthulhy took up the operating tools in her tentacles. “I believe that modern slimes diverged from the shoggoth, resulting in the birth of a new species.”

Cthulhy spread green slime on Glenn’s head, as if icing a cake.

“You don’t mean…”

“Sapphee, I have been researching the regeneration of organs and blood using slime tissue. Lime has been helping me.”

“Really?”

It was an extraordinary idea. Slime body tissue had incredible plasticity, but they could only manipulate the appearance of their bodies. They couldn’t transform into actual bodily tissues, blood vessels, or internal organs…could they?

“I can do it.” Lime smiled, unperturbed by the fact that some of her tissue had sunk into Glenn’s wound. “I can regenerate large amounts of blood in mice, dogs, and cats. Slime gel is capable of changing into whatever material is surrounding it. I’ve been practicing with Dr. Cthulhy for a long time.”

Sapphee was silent.

“Glenn’s body is still alive,” said Lime. “I’m just helping him heal, yeah? I follow Dr. Cthulhy’s instructions and convert the part of me that’s inside Glenn. That’s all there is to it, yeah.”

Sapphee finally understood why Lime had worked with Cthulhy for so long…and why she’d never been expelled.

“Hmmm. It looks like bone fragments did reach the cranial nerves, yeah.” Lime reported.

If she could diagnose his internal injuries simply through contact, then maybe her body had far more potential as a medical tool than Sapphee had ever imagined.

Cthulhy was watching Lime carefully.

“Let’s regenerate the tissue from the cranial bone to the cranial nerves, yeah.”

“The cranial nerves?” Cthulhy bit the end of one of her tentacles. “Lime, I’m sure this treatment will save Glenn’s life, but you understand the implications of recreating his cranial nerves…right?”

“It’s okay. I can do it, yeah!”

“I trust you.” Cthulhy turned to Sapphee. “We are going to repair his nerve damage. Lime is capable of returning his blood, vessels, and organs to their original state. However, nerve vessels are more delicate. We don’t know if the damaged parts will go back to what they once were. Please prepare yourself for that possibility.”

“Pr-prepare?”

“His life will be saved, but there may be an issue with his brain function. He may even lose some of his memories, especially recent ones.” Cthulhy seemed unsure about exactly what would happen. “Regardless, I am sure that Glenn will not need to give up on his dream. He’s pursued it for so long. I believe he will see that dream come true.”

Cthulhy looked down lovingly at her favorite pupil.

“I-I believe it, too!” said Sapphee. “I’m sure you’re right.”

“That’s why, after the procedure is over, no matter what happens to Glenn, you need to follow up, Sapphee.”

Sapphee nodded.

Lime was literally grinning from ear to ear. “I’ll follow up, too!”

“Let’s begin,” said Cthulhy. “Concentrate hard, Lime.”

“Leave it to me, yeah!”

Sapphee thought back on all the moments that she and Glenn had shared. She remembered the first time they’d met at his family home, and their awkward, unexpected reunion at the Academy. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to talk to him at first, but they’d still ended up in the lab together.

“It’s okay,” Lime assured her. Sapphee was grateful for her kindness. “He won’t forget everything. The effects will be minimal, yeah?”

Sapphee could tell she was lying. “Lime…”

Even Lime didn’t understand what the consequences would be. She was just guessing. No…she was trying to make Sapphee feel better. But Sapphee would believe the lie, at least for now.

“People sometimes remember things they forgot, yeah?”

“True.”

Sapphee held Glenn’s hand. It was the only thing she could do. Glenn was going to be a doctor. That dream couldn’t end. He’d take everything he learned here—from Cerve, Bellmer, Fuso—with him to Lindworm.

“Time to start, Lime.”

“Yes! Now I’ll show you the true ability of the oldest apprentice in Cthulhy’s classroom!”

And so they began.

Cthulhy used her tools to open Glenn’s skull and transplant Lime’s tissue into him. Sapphee kept her eyes closed.

Glenn…

Instead, she called out his name in her heart, over and over.

 

***

 

The final exams were over.

Lime looked over the list of results posted in the school lobby. She’d thought about scanning up from the bottom. After all, it would be easier to find her rank that way. After the surgery was over, she’d needed time to recover. She hadn’t been able to properly prepare for the tests.

Well, that’s a pickle, yeah.

Lime chuckled. She’d have to start studying seriously soon, or Cthulhy would be angry with her. It seemed unlikely that Cthulhy would take her to Lindworm simply because of her transformative abilities.

Lime liked her mentor. She liked Glenn and Sapphee, too. She hated saying goodbye, so she wanted to do everything she could to stay with them. That was her only goal now.

“Ah…”

The top of the medical department was exactly as expected.

Glenn Litbeit was at the top of the list and, directly beneath him, Saphentite Neikes.

Glenn, then Sapphee…good.

Even after everything that had happened, they’d both managed to keep their grades up. Glenn would be a doctor. He’d go to Lindworm. And Sapphee would accompany him. Lime inadvertently turned into a ball, bouncing up and down the hallway.

“Oh!”

There was Glenn now, looking at the list. It was the first time she’d seen him since the surgery. Cthulhy had watched over his recovery.

Everyone, even Glenn, knew that he’d fallen and hit his head. But they’d told him his injuries were minimal. The only people who knew he’d almost died were the three of them.

Lime bounced over, returned to human form, and tapped him on the shoulder. “Glenn!”

“Oh, Miss Lime?”

“Yes, it’s me, everyone’s favorite Lime, yeah! You’re amazing, Glenn. Top of the class! Even after your injury…amazing, yeah!” she said. “Let’s go, yeah?”

“Go?” Glenn tilted his head to one side, confused. “U-uhh, Miss Lime…? Where…are we going?”

That was when she understood. Glenn had forgotten all about her.

“Oh, uh, to the laboratory, yeah. But…”

“Why?” Glenn asked.

Lime stopped herself. Nothing good would come of pursuing this.

“Ohh, uh, it’s nothing, yeah.”

Glenn bowed his head. “Then I’ll see you in class!”

He turned away, and Lime was left standing in the hall, speechless.

She sighed. She couldn’t let anyone see her cry. What had happened to Glenn was a secret. She’d never be able to share it with anyone.

Glenn had a future. He was on a mission to become a doctor, and it was Sapphee’s mission, too. After all, she loved him. Lime didn’t want to get in the way.

“E-er…”

She kept herself from crying through sheer force of will. Glenn had forgotten the days they’d spent together in the lab.

“Ahhh.”

Somehow, she would keep her emotions in check. She was good at pretending everything was okay. After all, there was no one else in the world as good at transforming into something she wasn’t.

“I’m fine, yeah? Fine.”

Lime buried her feelings somewhere deep. There was no point in wallowing in it.

Instead, she put on a happy face and bid her former friend farewell.