episode_0006
by fnovelpia“You should stop taking the medication now.”
Moritz looked at the priest in front of him with pity.
The priest with a pale complexion didn’t even pretend to hear Moritz. He just stared into space.
I just stared into the empty space, the empty space where there was nothing. That was it.
And all the while, time continued to pass relentlessly, as if telling me to wake up from a dream.
“Mr. Antonelli, I repeat, you must stop taking the medication now… .”
“… If you disconnect.”
The priest in front of him. That is, Father Lucio Antonelli lowered his cold gaze.
Instead of an empty space, the doctor’s face, worried about him, filled his field of vision.
“If I cut it off, I think I’m going to die.”
“… … .”
“But if you don’t stop taking the medicine, it’ll be like dying.”
“Mr. Antonelli.”
Father Antonelli pointed to my temple with his finger and knocked once, twice, then three times.
“I can still hear it. In this head… . In this dungeon.”
“What do you hear?”
“Comrades who died beside me… . I can feel the vibration of the shelling. There are torn-off arms strewn about in our trenches. And, and… . I, I… . I… .”
Finally, seeing the sight of Father Antonelli bursting into tears, Moritz felt sorry for him and gently held his hand. The wrinkled hand of the old doctor was holding the hand of the young man who could not bear his guilt.
“My, my… . What on earth should I have done… .”
Father Antonelli sobbed. The sleeves of his cassock became damp.
What crime did this young man commit? What on earth did he do wrong that he, a young man in his twenties with a bright future ahead of him, must suffer like this?
Moritz felt genuine compassion for him. The suffering of Father Antonelli was not something that could be borne alone, but the poor, weary priest insisted on carrying the burden alone.
It would be nice to ease that burden, even just a little, for myself as a doctor, or for those around me. Instead of stubbornly refusing the help of others, I need to learn how to rely on others.
“I… . Sob. I couldn’t do anything. Sob. I, I. I… .”
“It’s okay. It’s okay… .”
“I wasn’t the kind of person who would go like that. I wasn’t the kind of woman who deserved to die like that. What on earth should I have done… .”
How long had it been since I sobbed like that?
Father Antonelli looked up. His expression was much better than before he had seen me.
“… I’m sorry, teacher. I looked embarrassed.”
“It’s nothing to be sorry about, Mr. Antonelli. It’s nothing to be sorry about, patient.”
“Thank you.”
Moritz looked into the eyes of Father Antonelli, which were as red as a rabbit’s, and soon picked up his pen to write down a prescription.
“Still, the medicine won’t work. The patient needs to gradually become aware of the current situation.”
“… Yes.”
“We can no longer recommend drugs that contain strong narcotic ingredients because of their side effects. If you take more than this, your body will be damaged first.”
“I understand.”
“I will prescribe only shoulder-related medicine. Take two pills three times a day, morning, noon, and evening.”
“… Is your shoulder getting better?”
I’m at a loss. How should I explain it?
Moritz, who had been thinking for a while, decided to tell the truth. After all, this patient didn’t want to hear empty words. That was his judgment.
“Shoulders… . To be honest, the recovery speed is a little slower. If you accept the miracle manifested by very high-density divine power, the story might be different… . Yes.”
“Okay.”
“You may experience some pain while taking the medication you are taking this time, as the medication you took previously had a narcotic pain-relieving effect.”
“… Yes. Okay. ”
Father Antonelli’s expression darkened slightly. However, he did not show it and soon returned to his usual expressionless face and left the examination room.
“Thank you. Then, another month later… .”
“Yes. See you again in a month.”
Click.
Moritz stared at the closed door of the examination room, then sighed deeply and gently rubbed his forehead.
“Hoo—”
Moritz leaned back in his chair.
No matter which day I came, he always came before I finished my treatment and left after seeing me for the last time.
Is it out of consideration for other patients? Or is it because she doesn’t want others to see her past appearance?
I couldn’t figure it out. I couldn’t figure it out, but… .
“… Isn’t it time yet?”
Bam.
“Teacher. We will soon be ending the consultation.”
“Yes. …Before that, Betty.”
Nurse Betty turned her head. Moritz smiled weakly and wiggled his fingers.
“Let’s finish with a cigarette.”
“… Good.”
Without smoking, I couldn’t stand the stuffy feeling in my chest.
* * * * *
Ding— ding—
“… Let’s end today’s class here. If you have any questions, please feel free to come to the Academic Affairs Office at any time since I’m on duty today. Please note that I will not be answering any questions regarding the assignment. Please think about it and write it yourself.”
Okay, see you next week.
After ending the class with a slightly different greeting than usual, he left the classroom with only the Bible tucked under his arm.
It’s been three weeks since I started teaching at the academy. Maybe it was because the first class went by like a storm. Fortunately, there were no major incidents in the classes that followed.
However, the strange thing is that the eyes of the students taking my class changed completely from the first class.
When I first started teaching, there were many students who were noisy, and there were even students who were lying down and sleeping. However, after I had a fight with Adelheid’s daughter, those bad students disappeared.
Although everyone’s shining gaze is a little uncomfortable… If the students are trying to do their best and listen to the class diligently, there is no educator who would stop them.
I also cautiously made a hopeful observation that perhaps, after seeing the primordial flower that I had presented, the students also became interested in theology, which they had previously found boring.
‘Come to think of it, Chloe was also listening to the class diligently.’
Although my knowledge of this novel is limited, I know that the main character is a female student named Chloe. Come to think of it, I think I haven’t read it because it’s a novel with a female protagonist.
Anyway, Chloe, who is the main character, is faithfully attending my lessons, so my goal is to teach Chloe to be more human. I think that will work out somehow.
I didn’t even want the novel to progress smoothly. In the first place, I didn’t even know the rest of the story, so who would take care of whom?
‘As long as I don’t die, that’s fine.’
Yeah. Let’s keep him alive and human. That’s enough.
As I left the classroom with these thoughts in my mind, Deacon Sophia, who was also my teaching assistant, followed me, tottering along, hugging her theological books.
“Deacon Sophia. I will listen.”
“Ah. Okay, thank you!”
I felt sorry for Deacon Sophia as she continued to wrangle and correct her books, so I snatched the pile of books from her arms and placed it next to me.
“I need to get a briefcase.”
“That’s right. I think I’ll need a bag since I’ll need to pack my test materials starting from the second semester.”
“Yes. Let’s buy one that’s comfortable for the Sophia subtitle.”
“I appreciate it! Oh, right. And about today’s duty… .”
Even as we walked down the hallway, Deacon Sophia busily followed me and told me about the day’s schedule.
It’s comfortable to be a deacon. I remember when I was a deacon in a country estate.
At that time, I was an innocent country boy who didn’t know anything about the world. How did I end up like this?
I looked down at Deacon Sophia, who had finished talking about her duties. Her blond hair was swaying and she was following me around. She looked like a hamster running around on a wheel.
“Um… . Your Majesty, aren’t you curious about the lunch menu at the Academy cafeteria today?”
“I’m curious. Do you know Deacon Sophia?”
“Hehe. You want me to tell you with my bare face?”
“… Hmm.”
Deacon Sophia looked up at me with a mischievous expression. One thing I had learned from hanging around the Academy was that she was a very playful person.
I stopped walking and looked down at Deacon Sophia. As I stopped walking, Deacon Sophia, who had been looking up at me with strange eyes, stared straight into my eyes as if she wouldn’t give up.
I looked into her emerald eyes. I caught a glimpse of something sparkling.
The passion of youth that comes from a bright and youthful expression. Now, as I approach my thirties, it has disappeared.
Of course, I’m not sure if I would have been as passionate if I were her age. I wonder what I was doing at that age.
…I wanted to look at that sparkling thing a little closer.
“Uh, sir, sir?”
As I bend down and stare at her, her once pure porcelain-white face gradually turns red. Why is that?
Deacon Sophia, who had been shaking her transparent green eyes back and forth, not knowing what to do, soon began to look into my eyes with strength in her eyes as if she had made up her mind.
“… … .”
“… … .”
Neither of us said anything, but we both noticed at the same time.
This is… a snowball fight. A snowball fight to figure out what to have for lunch.
And I never fight a losing battle.
“… Your eyes must hurt, Your Majesty.”
“Deacon Sophia. You have a mountain of work to do. Let’s finish it quickly and go.”
“Oh my gosh. Your Majesty, your nose hair is sticking out.”
“I know it’s all a lie.”
“… Tsk.”
As I focused on the face of Deacon Sophia, I noticed a small speck of dust on the side of her head. I moved the theological books I was holding to my right hand and carefully lifted my left hand and placed it on her cheek.
“Hipp… !”
Then, Deacon Sophia shuddered. The eyes that had been staring at me silently also began to shake.
‘This is it…!’
I had a feeling that I would win.
As I gently cupped her cheek with my left hand, her small face fit into my hand. I raised the corners of my lips slightly and picked up the dust with my fingers.
“… … .”
“… Phew.”
And then, without realizing it, I burst out laughing.
Deacon Sophia had already closed her eyes tightly. She was trying so hard to keep them tightly shut that her hands, clenched into fists, were trembling.
I just dusted it off.
“You’re walking around with dust on your head. Is that a snack?”
As I lightly shook my hand, Deacon Sophia, who had her eyes tightly shut for some reason, slowly opened them.
Then, as if in disbelief, he opens his eyes wide and starts looking at my hands and face alternately.
“Ba, just now. You laughed… .”
“Why are you like that?”
“… I don’t know! The head priest is a pervert! He’s a pervert!”
“What.”
“Sa, a priest… . A priest, like that… . Ouch… .”
Deacon Sophia muttered something incomprehensible. And then.
“What are you both doing here?”
It was my eternal lunch mate, Professor Esther. She looked at me and Deacon Sophia as if she saw something strange.
“Nothing. Let’s go eat.”
“Uh… . Yes. Well… . That’s what I came for too.”
“So, Deacon Sophia. What’s for lunch today?”
“I don’t know!”
We headed to the restaurant. Even while we were eating, Deacon Sophia didn’t even look at me for a while.
‘Is it something to be so angry about?’
Still, sometimes this situation isn’t so bad.
That’s what I thought.
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