parasitism eve

Chapter 15

Li Ming pondered for a moment, then feigned a sudden realization.

"Oh, right... I remember now, that's right."

Then, Saint-Mei and Liming talked for nearly thirty minutes.

Liming couldn't remember Shengmei's name, but upon hearing she was a junior in the instrumental music club, he chatted happily with her for a long time. He even apologized to Shengmei, saying that since entering graduate school, he hadn't participated in any instrumental music club activities, so he didn't recognize her. Two years ago, when Shengmei met Liming, she felt he was a very composed person, and this second meeting only reinforced that impression. Two years ago, Liming was a first-year master's student; by now, he should have graduated. Shengmei casually asked. Liming replied that he was pursuing a doctoral degree. Hearing this, Shengmei immediately felt admiration. It seemed others were different from her; they had clear goals. Liming smiled and said that research was indeed very interesting, and he was simply captivated by it. Shengmei found Liming's smile quite endearing. If Professor Ishihara hadn't returned, Shengmei would have liked to chat a little longer.

Upon returning to his room after the lecture, Professor Ishihara, in an exaggerated tone, said to Seimi, "Are you alright? You suddenly fainted in the classroom, which gave me quite a fright."

Saint-Mei apologized repeatedly while bowing deeply.

The professor inquired carefully about Saint-Mei's current condition and advised her to see a doctor. Saint-Mei answered his questions one by one. It took her quite some time before she finally convinced the professor that she was truly alright.

"Nagashima, go see her off. It would be troublesome if something happened to her on the way back."

Sitting in Liming's car, Shengmei repeatedly expressed her gratitude.

"You're being so polite, it makes me feel uncomfortable."

Liming smiled helplessly. Shengmei reflexively said "I'm sorry." Upon hearing this, Liming burst out laughing. Shengmei laughed along with him.

On Sunday, the two had lunch together, and afterwards, they drove around together and exchanged phone numbers.

The next day, Shengmei made a phone call. The following day, late at night, Liming made another phone call.

And so their relationship began.

Liming was busy with experiments at school, so he couldn't spend all his Sundays with Shengmei. His cell research couldn't be neglected for even a day. However, Liming still tried his best to take Shengmei for a drive or a drink at a bar. If he was busy with experiments during the day and only had time in the evening, he would rent videotapes and they would watch movies together. Although Liming was always busy, Shengmei grew increasingly fond of him, feeling that he cared about her. Shengmei wanted to understand Liming better. Not knowing the details of his experiments, she often asked about them during their conversations. Each time he asked, Liming would be excited and patiently explain everything to her. His eyes always shone when he talked about his research. Shengmei, observing Liming's expression, thought to herself, "What a passionate researcher!" Saint-Mei felt wonderful that the person she admired could pour his passion into his career. "The slides the professor used in his lectures were created based on the data I obtained."

When asked why his name was on the slides, Li Ming began to explain.

"During my master's studies, because I achieved some promising experimental results, my professor suggested I write a paper. He probably knew I was planning to pursue a doctorate. The paper had to be written in English, which took a lot of effort. Finally, it was published in a very good journal called the *Journal of Biologic Chemistry*." "Is it a very famous journal?"

"Yes, absolutely top-notch. This journal specializes in publishing papers related to biochemistry and has a global influence. The English text you see on the slides indicates that the images have been published in this journal. You might not know this, but generally speaking, academic journals can be divided into two main categories: journals that publish research papers and journals that publish explanatory reports and review articles. You've seen journals like *Newton* and *Nikkei Science* published in Japan, haven't you?"

"ah."

"Those are journals that publish reports and review articles, and cannot be considered academic journals in the true sense; they are more like popular science publications for the general public. Besides these kinds of journals, there are also journals that provide a platform for researchers to publish their new discoveries. Researchers from all over the world write their research results into papers and submit them to these journals. Generally speaking, the submitted papers must be written in English. The journals have several reviewers, who are almost all professors from well-known universities. The manuscripts we send in are reviewed by the reviewers, and papers they deem worthy of publication will be published in the journal; if they are deemed unsuitable, the manuscripts will be returned or the authors will be asked to revise them."

Which category do you fall into?

“When I first submitted it, the reviewers said I needed to add an additional experiment. They said if I added the results of that experiment to the article, it would be published. So I did that experiment, and then the paper was published smoothly. Look, this is the paper.” The booklet Li Ming handed over was densely packed with English text and figures. The title of the paper used many technical terms and abbreviations that even Shengmei, an English major, couldn't understand. This kind of article wasn't something you could understand just by flipping through it a couple of times; Shengmei sincerely admired Li Ming for being able to write such things. “But you still have to write a paper now, right?”

“Yes, you need to publish at least three papers to get a doctorate. One of the professors in our lecture series added my name to his published paper, so now I only need to finish one more.” “Are you still planning to publish in this journal?”

"Well, I can't keep submitting to the same kind of magazine. Someday I'll want to publish articles in higher-level magazines too."

"Higher-end?"

"Yes, academic journals are also tiered. From top-tier journals to those with little influence, there are many levels within academic journals. Researchers decide which journal to submit to based on their research level. Furthermore, each journal has its own characteristics. Some cover all branches of science, while others focus on a narrow area. Therefore, when submitting, one must consider the correspondence between their research and the journal. I think the most authoritative academic journals in the world are probably *Nature* from the UK and *Science* from the US. Publishing in these two journals is a remarkable achievement. Below that level, in the field of biochemistry, would be *Cell*, and further down the line would be journals like the *Journal of Biochemistry*." "So, your paper is quite substantial!"

"Of course, I couldn't have done it on my own; it just so happened that the topic the professor gave me was a perfect fit. That's very important. Besides, the professor knew some of the magazine's reviewers, so I guess I probably received some preferential treatment..."

It should have been something to be proud of, but Liming acted with great humility, which showed his good character. Shengmei liked the shy smile that appeared on Liming's face at these times.

She didn't know how many times they kissed when Liming's tongue slipped inside. Shengmei felt a rush of pleasure that made her head spin, and her heart raced.

Liming gently placed his hand on Shengmei's clothes at the chest. He'd find out how excited she was! Although that was what Shengmei thought, she closed her eyes and willingly extended her tongue to cooperate with Liming's movements. It was a pleasure she had never experienced before. Shengmei thought, "He's the one!"

The person I've been waiting for—(it's him!)

Saint-Mei was suddenly startled and moved her lips away.

"What's wrong?" Li Ming asked, somewhat puzzled.

"...I think I heard someone talking."

"sound?"

(He's the one I've been waiting for!)

Listen!

Saint-Mei screamed in agony.

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Liming held the terrified Shengmei tightly, repeatedly reassuring her that there was no sound at all.

The sound had indeed vanished without a trace. Saint-Mei trembled uncontrollably in Liming's arms. She strained her ears, but heard nothing.

"It must be a hallucination."

Li Ming said while stroking Shengmei's head.

However, Saint Mei didn't think so. It was definitely not a hallucination! That's right, the voice was the same as last time. The same voice she heard before she almost fainted during the lecture! That high-pitched, shrill voice, she didn't know if it was a woman or a man, and she had no idea where it came from.

"It's alright now." With that, Li Ming gently kissed Sheng Mei's forehead.

Saint-Mei's rapid heartbeat had subsided somewhat, but her body continued to tremble.

What are you staring at?

Only after Li Ming said that did Sheng Mei come to her senses.

The table was laden with Italian dishes, and Li Ming sat opposite him.

"It's nothing," Shengmei said with a smile, trying to smooth things over.

That day, Saint-Mei and Liming spent the night together for the first time.

From the very beginning, Shengmei was very nervous. However, Liming remained gentle throughout. Shengmei blushed, her body burning hot, her chest almost unable to bear the rapid beating of her heart. But then, Liming whispered in Shengmei's ear, "You are so beautiful."

This made Saint-Mei extremely happy.

"Parasite Eve"

Chapter Fifteen

Upon receiving a report from the nurse that Mariko's urine output had decreased, Yoshizumi rushed to the ward to check on Mariko's condition.

Mariko had gained a little weight, and the test results showed that her serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were both rising. Yoshizumi broke out in a cold sweat. It could be a rejection reaction. That's what Yoshizumi thought.

Mariko lay flat on the hospital bed. She had a slight fever since last night, and her face was flushed. Yoshizumi raised his hand to greet her. Mariko completely ignored him.

Yoshizumi gave a wry smile to the nurse in the ward and sat down next to Mariko. "It seems like you're not urinating very well. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

"I don't know..." Mariko didn't even glance at Yoshizumi.

These past few days, Mariko has finally started responding to Yoshizumi's questions. But each time, her answers are always a curt one or two sentences. Even so, Yoshizumi is still very happy; he feels that Mariko is gradually making peace with him. Perhaps his decision to allow her to take walks in the yard has had some effect.

So far, Mariko's post-operative recovery has been ideal, even quite smooth. There has been no infection or rejection. This week, the dosage of her immunosuppressant, the adrenal steroid, has been further reduced, and Mariko has been allowed to move around outdoors. Yoshizumi believes that even if she were exposed to outdoor air, the possibility of infection is very small. If the situation continues to be stable, Mariko could be discharged soon. However, at this point, Mariko developed a rejection reaction, and her discharge had to be postponed. Yoshizumi believed Mariko's so-called "I don't know" answer; she wasn't hiding anything, and it's possible she really didn't know anything. The initial symptoms of a rejection reaction are often difficult for patients to detect, generally including fever and weakness in the limbs, which are very similar to the symptoms caused by uncontrolled fluid intake, and must be taken seriously.

"I think we still need to do some tests. There's a possibility of rejection, but don't worry, even if it is rejection, it can be cured immediately."

Mariko's body twitched slightly, but her expression remained unchanged.

"Please don't go out in the yard for now, okay? We're going to do an ultrasound scan for you, just like we did during the last transplant."

"..."

"It's just checking the sound of blood flow. It's quick and painless. After looking at the results, we can determine whether there's actually been a rejection reaction."

Mariko nodded silently in agreement.

Upon seeing this, Yoshizumi instructed the nurse beside him to prepare the ultrasound Doppler flowmeter. This device can detect whether the transplanted kidney has become enlarged and whether there has been a decrease in blood flow. Because it is very convenient to operate and can be performed in the ward, Yoshizumi often uses this examination on post-transplant patients. After handing over the examination to the nurse, Yoshizumi smiled at Mariko.

After leaving the ward, Yoshizumi walked down the long corridor towards the elevator. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting many square shadows on the floor. Was Mariko's condition truly a rejection reaction? Yoshizumi pondered as he walked. He couldn't say for sure until he saw the test results. In recent years, some effective immunosuppressants had been developed, making severe rejection reactions less likely. Distinguishing between rejection and cyclosporine poisoning had become increasingly difficult. Cyclosporine was an essential immunosuppressant for current transplant treatment, and Mariko took it daily. However, if the concentration of cyclosporine in the blood rose, it could cause toxic side effects that harmed the kidneys. Therefore, doctors drew blood from transplant recipients every morning to monitor cyclosporine levels. Based on the results, they would adjust the dosage as needed to minimize side effects. Mariko's monitoring results were sent to Yoshizumi daily by the laboratory. Based on the results he had seen, it couldn't be said that there was a significant increase in cyclosporine levels. What worried Yoshizumi most was the rising trend of his serum creatinine. In short, these symptoms resembled both a rejection reaction and kidney poisoning. However, based on past experience, Yoshizumi felt that a rejection reaction was more likely. Why would a rejection reaction occur at this time? Yoshizumi couldn't understand it. Perhaps it was because the treatment had been progressing exceptionally smoothly so far that he thought this way. But Yoshizumi still couldn't shake his unease.

This is Mariko's second transplant; the last one had to be removed due to rejection. Yoshizumi remembered that incident.

At that time, Mariko wasn't taking her immunosuppressants. She pretended to take them, but secretly threw them away. Although Mariko never admitted it, Yoshizumi remained convinced. If Mariko had taken her medication properly back then, things definitely wouldn't have turned out this way... Thinking of this, Yoshizumi suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Does this mean that Mariko threw away the medicine this time too?

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Did she want to induce a rejection reaction herself in order to make the transplant fail?

How could that be!

Yoshizumi shook his head. Blood tests had confirmed that Mariko had immunosuppressants in her system. Mariko had been taking medication.

Yoshizumi lowered his head and started walking again. He felt ashamed of his slight doubt about Mariko.

Yoshizumi thought that his suspicions about Mariko might have unconsciously manifested in his expression. Had Mariko noticed? That was probably why she was behaving so hostilely. Perhaps that was why Mariko was unwilling to cooperate.

Yoshizumi sighed and pressed the elevator button.

The ultrasound results were quickly delivered to Yoshizumi. It seemed there was still a slight decrease in blood flow, so Yoshizumi decided to perform a needle aspiration biopsy on Mariko, informing the nurse of the scheduled time. A needle aspiration biopsy is a method for observing the condition of a transplanted kidney. The procedure involves inserting a needle into the patient's kidney, extracting a small amount of tissue, staining the obtained tissue fragments, and then observing them under a microscope. Mariko was wheeled into the operating room. Yoshizumi, after disinfecting himself in the preparation room, followed her in.

The tissue extraction process took only a few minutes, and Yoshizumi handed the tissue to his assistant.

"Send it to the lab immediately. It would be best to divide it into three parts and examine them separately using an optical microscope, a fluorescence microscope, and an electron microscope. Can you estimate how long it will take?"

"If using an optical microscope, it will take about twenty minutes."

"Okay, go and observe immediately."

After leaving the operating room, Yoshizumi returned to the examination room to await the results. However, an overwhelming sense of unease welled up within him.

Did the kidney implant in Mariko's body fail to survive this time as well?

Just like last time, the implanted kidney died, and it had to be removed in the end.

Questions that he had never thought about before flashed through Yoshizumi's mind. Yoshizumi never imagined that he had become so timid.

After experiencing a rejection reaction, Mariko was immediately rushed to the hospital. Her father, returning home from get off work that day, found his daughter suffering terribly alone. For Yoshizumi, this was a devastating blow. Since her discharge, Mariko had been regularly visiting the hospital to pick up her medication and undergo tests to confirm the complete viability of her kidney; how could she suddenly experience a rejection reaction? Mariko was immediately transferred to the intensive care unit. Yoshizumi began treatment with some skepticism. When he saw the extremely low concentration of immunosuppressants in Mariko's blood, he was stunned. This was an acute rejection reaction! He quickly injected Mariko with OKT-3, a drug highly effective against rejection symptoms, but it was too late. Mariko could only undergo dialysis. In the blink of an eye, due to irreversible damage to the transplanted kidney, Yoshizumi had to remove it. No surgery is more disheartening than the removal of a transplanted kidney. All the hard work and effort of the numerous staff members over the past few months had been in vain. Moreover, if things go wrong, the patient's quality of life (QOL) can drop to a level even lower than before the surgery. Furthermore, considering the doctors' familiarity with the patient's blood vessel location, the removal surgery is usually performed by the same doctor who performed the implantation. For Yoshizumi, undergoing the removal surgery meant admitting defeat. The resulting shame lingered in his mind. On the day of the removal surgery, it was drizzling outside. Looking out the window from his examination room, Yoshizumi regretted not bringing an umbrella. He felt as if the gray sky seemed to see right through him. The removal surgery was performed in the same operating room where the transplant had taken place. The only difference was that Mariko now had an additional scar on her lower right abdomen compared to the transplant. Yoshizumi used a power scalpel to reopen that area. The only saving grace was that the implanted kidney hadn't fully healed with the surrounding tissue. Although Mariko had received the transplant six months prior, her rejection reaction hadn't been a slow, gradual worsening. To some extent, the cause was likely acute transplant kidney failure. Chronic rejection often causes inflammation, causing the implanted kidney to adhere to the abdominal wall. This makes it difficult to locate blood vessels, and forcibly removing them could lead to massive bleeding. However, the blood vessels at Mariko's surgical site could be easily ligated. The surgery was conducted in a somber atmosphere. Even when using nylon ropes to anastomose the blood vessels, Yoshizumi couldn't concentrate. Although he knew this procedure couldn't be done carelessly, he couldn't understand why he was now removing the kidney implanted in Mariko's body... Looking at the timely completed tissue staining slides, Yoshizumi confirmed that this was a rejection reaction. Although the rejection was still relatively mild, multinucleated white blood cells were very prominent in the capillaries, and thrombi had appeared in the arterioles. Cyclosporine nephropathy is characterized by small, glassy particles in the arterioles, but no such hyalinization was observed in Mariko's slides. Yoshizumi prescribed methylprednisolone for Mariko as a symptomatic treatment. If Mariko's rejection reaction is severe, OKT-3 might be necessary. However, Yoshizumi believes it's not necessary yet. He'll prescribe three days' worth of medication for Mariko and see how things go. The effects won't be visible for another two days, so Mariko's condition must be closely monitored for the next week. After giving his instructions, Yoshizumi breathed a sigh of relief. He made himself a cup of tea, returned to his desk, and stared blankly at the white steam rising from the teacup.

After the kidney transplant surgery, Mariko changed noticeably.

She fell into a state of extreme depression. Initially, Yoshizumi thought that the failed transplant had caused Mariko's withdrawn state, so he suggested that Mariko and her father consider another transplant, hoping to prevent Mariko from despairing. To ease Mariko's mental burden, Yoshizumi also told her about a new dialysis method called CAPD, which would improve her condition even if she returned to her previous dialysis routine. However, looking back now, Mariko's psychological state at the time was probably much more complex.

Why didn't Yoshizumi find out at that time whether Mariko hadn't taken her medication? Children can intentionally avoid taking medicine. Some do it out of defiance, some dislike the facial swelling caused by the side effects, some forget their medication after staying out overnight or traveling—the reasons are varied. Some children feel perfectly healthy and don't need medication, so they stop taking it on their own. Little do they know, it's precisely the medication that makes them feel good. To be honest, Yoshizumi didn't understand children's psychology very well; he didn't know how to interact with them. He thought this might be because he didn't have children himself. Shortly after starting work, Yoshizumi married a female classmate from university. Initially, both worked at the university hospital and had no time to raise children. After many years of marriage, when they finally had some free time, they learned that Yoshizumi's sperm was abnormal and he couldn't conceive. Previously, his wife had always been reluctant to give up her work and would always try to persuade Yoshizumi to postpone having children. But this time, upon hearing the result, she immediately turned her face away and shut her back to Yoshizumi. At that moment, Yoshizumi noticed the contemptuous look his wife was giving him.

I really should have done more thorough work on Mariko's mindset. Even though things have come to this point, Yoshizumi still feels very regretful. I really should have talked to Mariko a few more times.

For a time, Mariko seemed to have emerged from the darkness, not only listening to her father and Yoshizumi but also agreeing to undergo another transplant. Yoshizumi thought at the time that Mariko had overcome the blow of the removal. However, the truth was not so.

This is evident simply from Mariko's behavior during this transplant. Mariko hasn't recovered. Two years ago, her anxiety wasn't due to the transplant failure; what troubled her was something else unknown to Yoshizumi and the others. Mariko kept it to herself, telling no one. She even pretended to be cheerful, deceiving all the adults. And Yoshizumi and the others didn't notice. Was it already too late?

Is it no longer possible to capture Mariko's heart?

Yoshizumi thought to himself, "It can't be like this!"