Parasite Overlord

Emmia felt surreal at the moment.

'Surreal is about right.' Emmia thought to herself as she lay in bed feeling weak.

When she heard that she had been in a coma for a little over 2 weeks, Emmia didn't believe them, or rather she didn't want to.

'2 weeks....' Emmia thought dazed. '...I missed out on the deadline from Mr. Ulmolg.' Was the first thing that Emmia lamented when her thoughts started to run again.

'My part-time job too.....I probably got fired.'

'My classes! Arghhh,' Emmia screamed internally at the amount of work that must've piled up. In reality, it probably wasn't that much, it was just the thought of skipping so many classes made Emmia heartache.

'What happened to me in the first place?' Emmia questioned herself. The last thing she remembered was reading up on the plans for the Forest Crawler and then it was just blank after that.

'I hope Ica was fine....' Emmia thought to herself after a moment.

'I hope he didn't do anything while I was....asleep.'

'It should be fine, Sefir is there.'

Emmia's thoughts started to wander when a small girl with a doll-like face popped up in her thoughts.

'I wonder, how's Luna?'

'I hope she's getting along with the rest of them...'

Emmia's thoughts were interuppted when Seril walked into the room, her usual piercing red eyes softened at the sight of her sister.

"How are you feeling?" Seril asked.

"Still weak," Emmia answered with a small smile.

Seril chuckled softly, "I see."

"How is Ica?" Emmia asked the most pressing question in her head when Seril settled down next to her bed.

"He's doing fine I've heard. Sefir says that hes the same as always," Seril relayed the information about Icarth to Emmia.

"I see," Emmia gave a short sigh.

Then her facial muscles tightened and her smile faded.

"What's up?" Seril asked, concern interlaced in her voice.

"Did I get fired from my job?" Emmia asked, almost vincing at her own question

Seril blinked slowly.

She stared at Emmia who was still tensed up and worried.

A bubble of laughter escaped Seril through her best efforts to hold it in.

"You've been in a coma and that's the second thing you're worried about?"

"Hey! It's important for me!" Emmia protested with a pout.

"Hmm okay," Seril reeled her laughter in. "No you didn't get fired. I gave them the reason for your absence."

"Good," Emmia exhaled in relief.

Another burst of laughter escaped Seril which made Emmia pout again.

"Sorry," Seril apologized while wiping away fake tears from the corner of her eyes.

A comfortable silence descended and Emmia felt another urge to ask Seril about someone.

'Would Seril even know about Luna?'

'I mean I've told her about Luna, but how would Seril know how Luna is doing right now?'

'Maybe I should just wait until I get discharged...'

'I guess it's worth a shot to try.'

"Hey Seril?"

"Yea?"

"Do you by any chance know how Luna is doing these days? I'm just worried cause she hasn't made any other friends other than me and I don't know if she's able to talk with the others properly without me, and," Emmia started to ramble on and only stopped after noticing Seril's amused look on her face.

"What?" Emmia asked suddenly irked by Seril's smile.

"Nothing," Seril kept her thoughts to herself and her smile faded.

Sensing the change of mood, Emmia too tensed unconciously.

"She's fine I suppose," Seril started slowly. "She was actually the reason that you woke up from your coma."

"What?!" Emmia's eyes widened in shock.

"Yes, her gift was very helpful in finding the problem," Seril didn't elaborate further and let Emmia take in the information.

'I need to find who put that parasite in Emmia,' Seril thought grimly a cold light flashing in her eyes.

'I'll start with this hospital.'

Emmia gazed at her sister, a suspicion sprouting inside her.

'Seril is hiding something,' Emmia mused and then she frowned.

'Why do I feel like that?' Emmia countered her own thoughts.

'Her breathing seems calm, but her eyes are not directly looking into mine.'

'Her pause was also slightly unnatural which she's shown when hiding things from me before.'

Emmia surprised herself with the answers and paused for a second.

'Eh, it doesn't matter, she must have a reason.'

Seeing that Emmia had taken in the information, Seril continued, "Actually it was difficult to locate the problem and Luna had to be admitted due to the strain placed on her."

"What?!" Emmia yelped, this time thoroughly.

"Is she ok?!"

"Yes, yes calm down. She was discharged yesterday itself," Seril assured Emmia.

"Oh, ok," Emmia deflated with relief flooding out the worry.

'What a monstrous recovery,' Seril thought back to Luna's recovery in just a day. 'Such a strong gift too....Who is she?' Seril added that to the list of things she had to do.

"When will I get discharged?" Emmia suddenly asked.

Thinking for a second, Seril answered, "that nurse said that you would be healthy to leave tommorow.''

To that Emmia winced once more.

"What's wrong?" Seril asked in concern.

"....I'll have to make up those classes too now," Emmia stated despondently while averting her gaze from Seril's.

Seril blinked and burst out laughing, unable to hold it together.

----------------

In the nurse's room, the doctor sipped her tea as Kyla, her personal assistant handed her another set of documents.

"I don't know why the administration keeps giving you this much paperwork while knowing about your failing health, doctor," Kyla scolded the hospital administration while she arranged the documents.

"It's fine dear, I'm not suited for any other work anyways," the doctor chuckled softly at her assistant.

"That's not true," Kyla protested. "You're much better than that oaf of a head surgeon that we have. If you were just 10 years younger, then that title would belong to you."

The doctor just smiled at that.

"Honestly, I just don't know what's going through their heads-" Kyla started.

*Cough* *Cough* *Cough*

Having finished her tea, the doctor suddenly broke into a fit of coughs.

"Doctor!" Kyla paniked.

"It's fine *cough* *cough* I just *cough* choked," the doctor tried to calm thier assistant.

"I'll get a glass of water immediately," Kyla fretted as if she didn't hear the doctor and rushed out of the room.

After Kyla had left the room, the coughing stopped abruptly.

"What is it No 2?" the doctor called out softly.

'What is the progress on the wolves' No 7?' No 2 asked apathetically.

"It will take another 3 weeks," the doctor or No 7 answered after a moment.

'You have 2 weeks.' No 2 stated decisively.

Before No 7 could burst into rage, No 2 continued, 'The intel is that the test is in the next two weeks. Get it done.'

After that No 2 cut the communication.

No 7 felt her anger on the verge of exploding. The universal energy around her bent to her anger, turning sticky in nature.

But before she could let loose, No 7 heard the footsteps of Kyla returned.

Reining her anger in, the room returned to normal in an instant right before Kyla entered hurriedly.

"Here doctor," Kyla extended the glass of water to the doctor who was still coughing here and there.

"*cough* Thank you dear," The doctor said, seemingly suppressing another cough.

"What is that smell?" Kyla asked suddenly, an odd scent hitting her nose.

"Whatever do you mean dear?" the doctor asked having finished the glass of water.

"I'm not sure," Kyla said taking another sniff. "It must be from the vents, I'll open a window."

"You do that dear," the doctor said leaning back on her chair.

Although all seemed calm on the surface, No 7 was still boiling with rage underneath.

'I'll have to speed up my plans...' No 7 grit her teeth as she activated her gift "Parasite Overlord".