Full of Paradox: A Puzzle Unsolved [EX-AID AU]

Infection!

+THIRD PERSON+

"If we're infecting this very unique person, we can't just give him a few. We need something that would kill an ordinary person."

"Do you think that might be dangerous?"

"Trust me, Graphite. He's unlike those other Riders."

That night, Graphite and Parad followed Emu on his way home. They can hear his exhaustion from a certain distance.

"Oh my, what a day. Those were a lot more than usual. Thank goodness it's all over."

With the flicker of a light switch, Emu laid down at his bed. They were ready to move. Like the ninjas that work in the shadows, they quickly got up to a conveniently positioned window to Emu's bedroom.

"Keep in mind that he has extraordinary Bugster immunity. We have to keep him in check to make sure all goes well."

( ~ * ~ )

Two days later, Emu woke up feeling nauseous. Their plan bore fruit. As Graphite went out to spread the virus, Parad was keeping watch of the small but quite spacious apartment unit.

"... I must've overslept."

Emu sleepily walked up to the little kitchen table, serving himself a cup of coffee. He has been living alone in this apartment in the outskirts of Seito ever since he decided to take up medicine there, leaving his family in Kyoto. He still gets to talk with them at times. Upon looking at the wall clock, he realized that he DID oversleep. He rushed around the place, falling comically several times in the process.

"I'm gonna be late if I don't hurry!"

( ~ * ~ )

He ran all the way to the hospital after taking a bus that took him to the next right, which is quite far from the place. He dropped by the CR headquarters, obviously exhausted from a 400-meter sprint from where he was dropped off the bus to the university hospital.

"Good morning, guys..."

"Emu, are you alright? You're not... yourself today."

It was clear that he was tired from running to the hospital, but it was quite unusual of him. Hiiro stood up and laid his hand around Emu's face.

"You have a fever. It would be best if you call it a day."

"But Hiiro...!"

"You may be a doctor now, but your condition is clearly unfit, intern."

The young doctor gets irritated almost every time Hiiro calls him an intern. This intensifies now that he is a doctor, but it might be because he hadn't changed a bit. His stubborn face tells Hiiro he will still go to work. Hiiro's glare replied,

"You're not fine."

With an annoyed sigh, Emu exited the secret basement and went on to his clinic.