kalts

Subject's body temperature, oxygen saturation levels, breathing, and heart rate are all normal.

The operation was a success.

Good work, everyone.

<p=2>September 28th, 1099, 11:38 A.M.</>, <p=1>Rhodes Island Medical Department</>

It's finally over... What a miracle, right?

This might be strange for me to say, but to be honest, I never thought this operation was going to be successful at all...

Persistence on a subjective level and the inability to give up are perhaps one and the same. If we consider solely the outcome, perhaps we should take solace we persisted through this ordeal.

Chloe is a brave girl. She never gave up on life, and as doctors, we must never give up before the patient.

Considering how high the patient's cell-Originium assimilation levels are, I really can't imagine how it feels...

This is all very strange, though. We've never seen such symptoms before in Oripathy, and her organs are still somewhat functional even though most of them have already completely crystallized.

If we write a paper out of this, it will draw considerable attention in the medical science community. It could be a huge breakthrough to Oripathy medical theory.

A breakthrough, or perhaps the disease has mutated in ways beyond our comprehension. It's hard to say which.

This is worth taking a closer look into. I will head to the laboratory later to analyze—

Wait.

Hm?

That's got to have broken the record for the longest procedure, hasn't it? That was, what, seventy-three hours? Seventy-five?

Seventy-nine hours and forty-five minutes.

I changed shifts twice the last couple of days, but you never left the operating room even once. And now you want to go to the lab?

Kal'tsit, you've been way too industrious ever since your trip to Victoria. Like, even more so than before.

Is there another reason to this?

In a number of ways, yes.

You were there in the meeting. You know the predicament that Rhodes Island is in right now.

We only have so much time, Warfarin.

I could say the same for your stamina or sanity.

No one can keep burning themselves out like this. Not even you.

I know my own condition better than anyone, and I will take the most reasonable course of action.

I can trust you on that first part, but if your 'reasonable course of action' involves working day in and day out without end, then I have to stop you.

Your experiment won't suddenly grow legs and run away. I can help you, too, but only if you actually live to see it to fruition.

I am a doctor, too. You can't tell me to watch my coworker keep on endangering her life. What you are doing is a bad example for the entire Medical Department.

So, get out of Medical right now, head to the canteen for a bite to eat, and go back to your own room right now. There, you can do whatever you want.

I'm locking the lab's door. Until you get eight hours of rest, don't let me see your face here.

Okay.

Save it. No amount of begging will—

I beg your pardon?

I will follow your advice.

Thank you all for participating in this procedure. You have all earned some well-deserved rest. I, too, will stop my work for the time being.

Uh...

Is there anything else?

N—No...

It kinda feels like... you've gotten more reasonable since your trip to Victoria...

How about I give you a thorough medical check—

Your time is just as valuable as mine. Let's not squander it on such meaningless pursuits.

Hmph...

I'll leave the postoperative observation to you. If anything comes up, contact me immediately.

Thank you for all your hard work, Warfarin.

Amiya, we're really in a pretty tight spot right now.

I know... but we need a little more time for a solution...

*sigh*... To think we're always short-staffed. I wonder if there's anyone—

Whoa, what the f—

Dr. Kal'tsit?!

Amiya, you seem kind of tense.

I... I'm just a little surprised.

I don't think I've ever seen you in the canteen... so I thought maybe you...

Naturally, I need to eat for sustenance.

What about you, Amiya? Have you not had lunch yet?

Not yet... I'm helping the logistics operators to take inventory of our food supplies for the winter.

Do you want anything to eat? Today's menu is... carrot cake, carrot pie, and creamy golden carrot soup...

It sounds like there isn't much variety.

Well, about that...

To tell the truth, we did run into a small issue...

We have more carrots than we can eat.

Hm?

After our last stop in Rim Billiton, the mine workers that we treated there insisted on giving us carrots to show their gratitude. Lots and lots of carrots...

Yes... Lots of them.

Amiya turns around and points at the mountain of carrots.

There isn't much room in the kitchen, and we don't have anywhere else to put the carrots.

We don't want any of it to go to waste, so... all we can do is to use them up as fast as we can.

Perhaps we can allocate another storage room for carrots.

Huh? Are there still empty storage rooms onboard?

There was a storage used for weapons and other war essentials. It's perfect for storing logistics' supplies now.

Now that the war is behind us, we should spend our resources toward the betterment of our employees' lives.

If you need me to, I can ask Closure to have Engineering prioritize this matter.

In fact, we can take the carrots that can't be stored here to the storage room right now.

We can't ask you to—

N—No, it's okay! Just leave it to me. I'll take care of everything.

Very well.

The carrots indeed look very fresh.

Huh?

This will be a particularly cold winter. Perhaps we should be thankful that we received such nutritious foods.

Yeah... I still remember how Theresa was always worried about supplies every winter.

Back then, being able to buy food from nearby villages was very good news.

But there is nothing to worry about now. Rhodes Island has a lot more operators now, and we have a lot more ways to procure food. Things won't get so bad anymore.

You're right. She put in tremendous effort to make sure all the operators had enough food to make it through each winter.

However, important as that may be, do not forget to take care of yourself, Amiya.

Be sure to take your meals.

And don't forget that you can rely on those around you whenever you need us.

Uh... Yep!

Dr. Kal'tsit, if you have time right now, why don't we have lunch together?

What would you like to eat? We don't have a lot of choices, but still...

...Carrot cake.

Okay!

Amiya... Why didn't you tell her that your limitless supply of carrots is all we have left for the winter?

We exhausted most of our basic supplies in Victoria, and we still haven't established a stable supply line after we got back to Rim Billiton.

Dr. Kal'tsit's been very busy... Let's not give her any more to worry about...

The weather forecast says the snowstorm will calm down a little in three days. We should be able to cross the valley and buy supplies at the cities to the north.

The barrenlands are dangerous. We should assign more field operators to the convoy. I'll chart the route...

Don't worry. We'll make it through the winter.

Hm... If this won't do, then how 'bout this proposal? I guarantee—

Closure.

In the past forty minutes, you've shown me twenty modification proposals for Rhodes Island's nighttime corridor lighting system.