Infectious Love

Chapter 10: From Good to Bad...

8 was impatiently bouncing his leg while waiting to be called up. He and 3 were at the hospital to get 8 registered with a regular doctor and to fill out some background info papers. They were in the empty waiting room, with 3 holding the clipboard with the filled-out forms.

"8?"

A nurse jellyfish was standing in the now open doorway, holding a clipboard and looking at the duo.

8 reluctantly stood up from his chair and followed 3 and the nurse through the corridor. They stopped by a small room where the nurse took 8's weight and ink pressure, then lend them to one of the examination rooms. While 8 took his seat on the examination table, 3 handed the nurse the clipboard and sat down in one of the two side chairs.

After typing in the info from the clipboards onto a mini-computer, the jellyfish took the clipboards and left the room, leaving 8 and 3 to wait for the doctor.

"See, it's not that bad 8." 3 smiled at him, helping ease his nerves.

8 couldn't help it; this was his first time going to the doctor on the surface, and he had only been living on the surface for two weeks now. Course the Octo Army had its medical units, but he couldn't quite remember them well. At least 3 was here with him, to help him through it.

Just then, the door opened to reveal a dark-toned adult Inkling that looked to be in his late twenties. 

"Nice to meet you Agent 8 and Agent 3," he said shaking their hands. "I'm Doctor Talmen, the Splatoon informed me about your situation."

That was one of the other benefits of the Splatoon, having connections. Captain Cuddlefish talked to one of his old friends and turns out his friend's grandson was a doctor at the same hospital 3 went to. After talking to him, he said he was happy to lend a hand.

"Okay, 8, you said you've been having a little back pain," Talmen said, looking at 8's info on the computer.

8 give him a tight nod.

"I'll take a look, 3, could you wait out in the hallway?" Talmen asked, looking to 3.

"Sure"

8 gave 3 a pleading stare as she got up from the chair.

"You'll be fine 8, I'll be right outside if you need me." 3 said in a calm voice.

She gave him a small wave; she walked out into the hallway, leaving a now grumpy 8. Talmen began going through the regular procedures; checking 8's ears, eyes, mouth, reflexes, and breathing.

"Okay, everything's looking good so far," Talmen said, putting his stethoscope back around his neck. "Can you tell me where, on your back, you feel the most pain?"

"It's sort of in the center," 8 answered.

"I'll take a look, can you lift the back of your shirt?"

8 turned his body sideways, he hesitated but slowly lifted the back of his shirt. Talmen's eyes grew with shock, a medium scar was covering the center of 8's back. It was a dark red against his pale skin, it looked like a medium splotch of ink.

"8... did you ever get bombed or shot in the back before without getting splatted?"

8 thought for a moment, during the tests in the metro he would get shot at, then it came to him.

"Whenever I failed a test, the little bomb strapped to my back would blow up," he answered, biting his lip. "Did it...?

"Yeb..."