Ikigai Project

Hospital Errors

For six whole months, I've never been able to smile.

You may wonder what could get someone in the hospital for six months, but you will learn very soon.

First things first, I must introduce myself. I am just your average honor student. That is until I lost my parents, my legs, and my overall state of 'perfection'.

Today is the day I will open my eyes once again. Today is the day I hope to see the familiar nurse greeting me out of bed.

As I opened my eyes again, I saw nothing except a hospital room. Yet it was abandoned. Blood-soaked. Horrific, even. There were no nurses--nothing but the downfall of humanity.

I couldn't even sit up. As I mentioned earlier, I had lost my legs. My prosthetics were in a case just within my reach. If I can try to get them...

As a result, I ended up on the floor without a single thought: I, an honor student with a reputation to uphold and at least some self-respect. My side hurt from the impact, and I couldn't get up... when I heard a light thumping just outside the room, like someone running.

Could this be my end?

A girl around my age turned up at my doorway. She was like a savior; her deep brown hair danced around her light brown face. She wore a seifuku, and a gray curved horn protruded through the right side of her head. If it weren't for that mysterious corruption over half her face that reminded me of them, she would've been ordinary.

She fidgeted with an uncomfortable smile before she spoke up. "Um..." Her voice was like a piece of unwrapped candy left on the table. "I came here to save you."

Though I didn't like the girl enough to call her my savior, my blue eyes narrowed in suspicion as the girl played with her hands more. I couldn't trust her just yet...

"My name is Mitsuki Sakuma, but you can call me Mitsuki. I don't expect you to remember my name, but I hope you do now..." Mitsuki struggled to make eye contact, her body freezing. "What's your name?"

"...It's nice to meet you, Sakuma. My name's Hinata."

A long pause followed. It was as if Mitsuki was shocked at what I called her. She cleared her throat and said: "Well, it's nice to meet you too."

I waited for the next cue, my body struggling to sit up yet awkwardly lying on the floor...

"If it's not too rude to ask, how did you end up like that?" Mitsuki took a step closer, only making me remember how much I hated talking to people.

I told her briefly about the car accident that caused me to end up in the hospital. The rundown was that I was riding home from school, a swarm of zombies ate my parents, and I was the only survivor. I also gained a bunch of cuts on my arms that never healed...

Mitsuki's first reaction was; "That's awful! How could that even be possible?!"

I would be as shocked as her if I heard that news for the first time. However, I had no time to speak before the girl picked me up and set me back on the bed. She then grabbed my case of prosthetics.

"These are yours, right?"

Mitsuki unzipped the case. I put the prosthetics on and balanced myself.

"Thank you." I thanked her politely. After I woke up, I didn't think I'd ever be able to walk or even stand ever again. It took a bit for me to adjust to its weight and balance, but six months was more than enough training. I stumbled to the door and put my hand on the knob. "Let's go."

She followed me out the door. However, what I saw in the hallway was much worse than I had imagined. The lights were off and there was blood all over the walls. I could even see a few bodies in the dim lighting, those of hospital staff, and perhaps some zombies. Mitsuki cowered by my side.