Fukiyose Seiri was sitting on a long chair in the hospital waiting room.
The frog-faced doctor said that all the necessary procedures were completed, so it was alright for her to walk about in the hospital. The nurses were laughing, saying, "This is truly a miracle, one won't be healed that quickly." They were really gossipers.
Fukiyose got off her bed. In order to confirm her condition, she decided to walk around in the hospital.
"…Ugh."
She pressed on her temples with one hand, gently shaking her head.
Arriving in front of the elevator, she felt a slight headache. This was the reason why she had been assigned to a hospital bed — in other words, it was not just a simple checkup, but rather she had been told to stay in the hospital for one day.
The symptoms of a severe heatstroke, a severe headache or a strong rejection, could be cured by a doctor, but she could only slowly recover the energy lost. Though there were no obvious wounds or symptoms, Fukiyose's body wasn't exactly in healthy condition.
She saw a small button that was in her hand.
It was a mechanical box that was as big as a matchstick box. It seemed to be a portable nurse call. As electronics couldn't be used in a hospital, it might be a modified version of an alarm sold wholesale. Just holding such a thing told her that her body's condition wasn't good.
Fukiyose Seiri looked around.
There was a space that also doubled as a smoking area. It was an area that was near the elevator, and it was not separated by any walls. There was a ditch on the ground of the entrance and an air vent of an air purifier formed a curtain of air. In this rectangular area, there was an even small rectangle-shaped bench, with a circular ashtray placed in the middle.
She ignored the smoking facilities and just stared at the corner with her giddy head.
There was a row of four vending machines that sold drinks.
"…Do I need to drink these drinks in order to replenish my strength?"
Her words lacked the domineering attitude that she normally had. The moment she got up from the long chair, a slight pain could be felt from the right side of her temple to the left. She was not going to be able to take part in the afternoon events.
Fukiyose frowned as she slowly moved towards the vending machine. She placed her cell phone, which could be used as a wallet, on an electronic reader, and lights appeared, indicating the buttons that could be pressed.
"Let's see, the most ideal one should have…glucose, amino acids, minerals, and…ha…HACHOO!!"
As she thought, she suddenly sneezed.
After shaking her head, her forehead slammed hard onto a button on the vending machine. Klang klang. A drink that Fukiyose didn't intend to drink rolled out.
Enduring the sharp pain on her head, Fukiyose confirmed what she got. It was a strange drink with the words 'condensed milk soda' written on it.
"…This is way too unhealthy."
She couldn't help but say this as she held the drink with one hand, but she couldn't just throw it away like this. Fukiyose Seiri didn't know what to do, as she could only walk back along where came from and back to her room.
The inorganic corridor that she walked along just now looked like a Silk Road in the desert.
She was already like this indoors, and it was hard to imagine what the feeling would be if she were to run under that hot, cruel and unbearable sun.
(Really, when…can I…)
Fukiyose dragged her body along, and sighed,
(…Can I return back to my work? I don't know what kind of trouble that guy will end up getting if I'm not around.)