Chapter 57：Parasite Ingestion (1/2)
Floor 32 consisted of a long narrow hallway with soundproofing installed everywhere, allowing no sound to leak out. Rooms were situated on both sides of the hallway, numbering from 1 to 40. A class usually only had about 30 students, give or take. The extra rooms were for cases when students transferred at the last minute.
The door to each room was closed shut as a nurse stood before them respectively, holding a name pad in their hand, their gazes warm. The teacher lead the students—numbering 31 in total—to the long, narrow hallway, seating them on the floor, forming a line.
She walked to the front, talking to a person that looked like the head nurse. ”Are the preparations in order? Anything we need to consider?”
”None,” The head nurse replied, her tone rigid. She seemed to be in her forties, possessing the strength of a Ground Controller, a Tier 4 Esper. She looked at the teacher, her voice turning polite, ”Everything is in order. Once their name is called, send them in.”
Taking a notepad, the head nurse stood before the long queue of seated students, ”First student, Ashten Coorg.”
A slightly good looking boy stood up—seated at the very front. He walked forward, stopping before the head nurse as she directed him towards room number 1. The boy turned behind, gazing at the faces of his friends, a smile emerging on his face as he gazed at Jyorta flashing him a thumbs up.
The nurse who stood before room number 1 placed her hand over Ashten Coorg's shoulders, leading him into the room. Seeing her action, the students hooted, letting out screams of exclamation.
Once the door closed shut, the head nurse called for the second student. A girl that looked taller than the boys stood up, her expression calm as she approached room number 2. The nurse stationed before it brought her inside, in the same manner.
As the students before him were lead inside one after another, Jyorta began to feel tense. His heart started to beat faster as the students seated before him reduced one by one. Finally, when there was only a single student before him, Jyorta could hear the sounds of his heart, his face flushed red while sweat covered his forehead. His back was laced with sweat, making the clothes stick to his skin.
Just when he felt his stomach rumbling with discomfort, the head nurse made eye contact, ”Number 31, Jyorta Bone.”
Jyorta stood up and walked forward, his shoes making knocking sounds in the otherwise silent corridor, the soft carpet dampening the sounds when he approached room number 1. He craned his head towards it, trying to peek inside but to no avail.
His heartbeats were beginning to slow, once it was his turn, his nervousness was beginning to abate. Jyorta crossed one room after another, having walked most of the hallway, finally arriving before the room numbered 31.
The nurse standing before its door was quite tall, spanning almost 6 feet. She had a slender musculature but the faint lines in her arms said otherwise. The nurse flashed a smile, making Jyorta's mind blank out for a couple of seconds.
”Hello there,” With a greeting, she slumped her arm over his shoulder, making his body shudder involuntarily.
”H-Hello,” Standing in close proximity and feeling the soft contact, his heart raced once again, making his limbs stiffen. He then followed her lead, entering the room and gazing at a green curtain. The curtain masked everything inside—placed a couple of feet away from the door—shielding from prying eyes.
Jyorta noticed the thick doors, recalling back to the doors used in aeroplanes. They were strikingly similar, their sturdiness and soundproofing apparent.
The nurse pulled the curtain aside, revealing a large hospital berth. To the side was a cupboard, the contents within unknown. A large machine was beeping, situated behind the berth. Near the door was a small table, situated atop it was a loose gown, green in colour.
”Change into this gown first. Other than this fabric, there shouldn't be anything else on your body, understand?”
”Yes, sister.” Jyorta nodded, picking up the gown, feeling its coarse fabric, looking numerous times inferior to the ones he wore daily. He then stared at the nurse, gazing at her watching him. The two looked at each other, the atmosphere turning awkward, making him feel embarrassed.
”You can change behind the curtain,” The nurse pointed at the green curtain near the door. With a nod, Jyorta thanked her, heaving a sigh of relief. He then closed the curtain, mentally cursing when he noticed it being a bit transparent, allowing shadows to appear on it.
He first removed the half blazer, holding it with two fingers using a gap in the design. He then unbuttoned the shirt, removing it, followed by the cotton vest. Finally, he picked up the green gown and wore it overhead.
The gown slid over his body without struggle, looking quite loose. The coarse material pricked his skin, making him feel the itch. The gown spanned all the way below his knees as Jyorta lifted it a bit and unfastened his belt and removed his pants.
He hesitated for a good 20 seconds when he was about to remove his underwear, his face flushed red. Mustering some strength, he removed his underwear, the prickling sensation from the gown making him feel irritated in his sensitive areas.
He folded his school uniform, placing them above the nearby table. He then noticed the nurse setting up some apparatus, consisting of a tube, pipeline, holders, etc. originating from the machine next to the berth.
”Lay down on the berth,” She pointed at the berth, patting its surface. Without protest, Jyorta sat on the edge of the berth, feeling it hard like stone, its texture worse than his gown. It felt weird, lying down on the hard berth without a pillow, his head aligned with the rest of his body, all on the same horizontal level.