Takezawa's Ghost - Episode 16
　My head feels like it’s opening up.
　Although Hirose expressed it that way, it was probably a milder way of saying that one becomes a shut-in.
　This is an expression typical of Hirose, who is fundamentally a serious person.
　But this was a problem.
　I don’t feel physical pain, but my heart is still weak.
　That’s why he maintains a casual relationship with Hirose, whom he should be facing head-on.
　If it were Naoya, he would have done it better…
“No, no.”
　Any further reflection would likely just end up being self-harming.
　I need to do something to change my mood.
　I had returned to the hospital, but headed towards the exit to go outside again.
　At that moment, as if on cue, the public phone in the lobby rang.
　…Do calls ever come in from public phones?
　I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been made public, but I wonder if there is a number.
　The fact that the number exists could mean it takes a miracle.
　Could it be from such a lucky person with free time?
　Or was it the work of that pesky monster?
　Sizzling!
　An unpleasant sound rang out.
　After all, telephones are such anxiety-inducing sounds.
　Wanting to stop the sound as soon as possible, I picked up the receiver.
　I can tell that I am losing my ability to think.
　Is this his influence?
<Hey. How long are you going to be outside? Come back soon.>
　That synthetic sound rings directly in your ears.
　With that said, the call was abruptly ended.
“…You’re underestimating me.”
　If I go back like this I’ll look like a squirming (tentative) slave and it’ll piss me off.
　Rather than listening to orders that you don’t need to listen to, you’d be better off increasing the number of allies who oppose you.
　I walk through the empty lobby.
　To look for Machida-san, the nurse, again.
　I searched the whole hospital, but I couldn’t find Machida anywhere.
　They appear when you don’t want them to and disappear when you do.
　He’s like a cat.
“And speaking of places I haven’t looked for…”
　Look up at the room.
　It’s called the operating room.
　Even an idiot like me could tell that it was not a room that someone who wasn’t hospital staff should casually enter.
　But there isn’t any other place I’m looking anymore.
　There was so little that I even had to look in the trash can.
　I somehow managed to bow before opening the door.
　I expected it to be locked, but it slid open easily.
　At this point, there’s no point in hesitating, so I step into the sanctuary.
　The lobby and examination rooms at this hospital were dirty, and even the operating rooms were filthy.
　And it’s exceptional.
　Let’s just turn a blind eye to the medical equipment scattered everywhere.
　But please, no bl00d everywhere.
　Although it has turned black over time, it is originally a red liquid that has solidified, so to the naked eye, it may not be recognizable as bl00d.
　However, having had more contact with bl00d than normal, my senses told me that it was human bl00d.
　He walked forward, stepping on the bl00d that was scattered on the floor.
　Then the operating table came into view.
　Of course, there’s bl00d on it, too.
　And in that place, the person I was looking for was lying there.
　Or rather, he was sleeping soundly under a blanket.
　Still in her nurse uniform.
　His sleeping face looks so happy that I hesitate to wake him up.
“…Well, it’s not urgent.”
　I sat down on a nearby metal chair and decided to wait for Machida to wake up.