Flesh and Bone

It was the first time I entered one of the houses in District 1, and it didn’t disappoint me in the slightest.

Why am I scared?

Still feeling a strange sensation in my only implant, the three of us, investigators, stood in front of the garden of the potential client’s house. Almost as if it had been stolen from a museum and placed in the middle of District 1, the house looked more like a small palace from the old world than anything.

"You are Shinpei Yamamoto and his companions, right? Welcome!"

Seconds after ringing the doorbell, we were greeted by the enthusiastic and excited voice of a girl no older than eleven.

"Yes, that’s us!" my new boss smiled, stepping forward. "We’re here to see Joshua. Is your mother around?"

Soon Joshua’s wife arrived, welcoming us politely with old herbal infusions and oat milk, along with some expensive sweets. She said the name of the drink was ‘tea’.

"Sorry for the excessive excitement. In my husband’s state, Shizuka thinks you’re the only ones who can cure him, in a manner of speaking," she said, staring wearily at her infusion.

"Don’t worry, we’ve been thinking of new solutions since the last time I came," Shinpei replied confidently, in stark contrast not only to the woman but also to Katy and me. As newcomers, we didn’t really know what to do. "I’m sure we’ll achieve good results today."

Seated together, with the little girl flitting around us, Aiko Cam explained in more detail the progression of her husband’s infection and his aversion to implants in general.

As contagion investigators, it was our job not only to save Joshua’s life by offering him implants but also to trace the origin of his infection to prevent further cases. That’s why it was important to recap with the family Joshua’s movements before he got infected.

"Darling, Shinpei Yamamoto is here to see you," Aiko said without even opening the door, with the poor Shizuka hiding behind the folds of her dress.

"I see..." We heard a voice from inside.

"Daddy!"

"Oh, my little Shizuka, would you mind leaving daddy to talk alone with the investigators?"

Without even answering, the girl lowered her head, leaving Katy unsure how to react.

"Please, convince my husband. I don’t know how much time he has left... His condition is worsening every day. We hardly see him except when I bring him food or when a doctor comes to check on him... He hasn’t seen daylight in two weeks. You must save him..."

In that same instant I recalled the defeated expression of the mother in the hospital, the cries of the father on the other side of the glass, Katy’s bright tears...

"Don’t worry, we’ll take care of it. Right, youngsters?" Shinpei searched for our eyes to convey a valuable lesson: we were there to save a life, not just to sell some implants.

Unfortunately, he failed to convey anything. Not even to a model student like Katy, whose pale face seemed lost in thought moments before entering.

Without further ado, the three of us stepped into the dark room where Joshua was resting. Katy voluntarily entered last.

We advanced slowly as Shinpei scanned the room with ultraviolet light, motioning us not to get within three meters of Joshua unless we wanted to end up infected.

The smell was horrible, rotten, as if death had been lurking around Joshua for days, patiently waiting for his last breath.

"This week I’ve been visited by Hero, Luminous, and Cambra. Now it seems it’s your turn..."

"Joshua Cam, do you remember me?"

"You’re the one from Cellos...” he coughed from his bed.

What is this urge to vomit?

I quickly glanced back at the already closed door, but I couldn’t do much, seeing Katy closely following me.

It was heartbreaking. Barely alive, the rot covered his body and parts of his face, while sucked the life out of him as he lay still.

Not even during my days as a nursing apprentice had I seen anything like that.

"Indeed. Considering your current state, I believe I must offer you..."

"I’ve already told you. Hero, Luminous, Cambra, and now Cellos. All in the same week."

What’s wrong with this man?

"Understand, Mr. Cam, it’s our duty to ensure that cases like yours don’t end in tragedy..."

"Your job is to sell implants, Mr. Yamamoto..." That statement made Shinpei step back, needing to find a way to reason with the man.

The more agitated I became, the more my hand trembled. So I searched for support in the gaze of the model student.

Huh?

She seemed even more desperate than I did... Not because I could see nervousness behind that short, dark hair with light streaks, but because her golden jewels showed no resolve.

She was paralyzed, overwhelmed by something only she understood.

"If you’ve come to sell me implants, Mr. Yamamoto, you may leave now..."

"Joshua Cam! You have a wonderful wife and daughter. I think they’d be sad if you died!" I clenched my fist and spoke as resolutely as I could.

"Huh?" Shinpei and Katy snapped back to attention.

"You are so rude... Do you think I’m unaware? Do you think I’m not trying my best for them? What do you know?"

"Mr. Cam, unfortunately, I..." Shinpei placed a hand on my shoulder, signaling me to stop talking.

"The only thing I want is to follow the path of my father, and his father before him. Both were victims of this cursed virus, and yet they endured until the end. Strong, they bore the pain until their last day without the help of prosthetics or implants. You don’t understand it: their only wish was to die humans. The same as mine, damn it! I’ve spent weeks preparing for my end, fighting through the pain of decay while planning every step for my family’s future and how to best use my wealth to ensure their success..."

Increasingly agitated, I nervously searched for some initiative in the eyes of my companions. While my new colleague lost her gaze in nothingness, Shinpei kept looking at him seriously.

"My duty is to ask you to let go of the memories of your father and grandfather. As long as I’m here, I will try to destroy your wish for the sake of your daughter..."

"Father... Grandpa..." He went blank for a few seconds. "Legacy is important, Yamamoto..."

"Cam..."

"I feel it’s my duty to leave a worthy legacy for my descendants. I want my daughter to grow strong, knowing that her adoptive father died as a warrior, that he stared death and S-Flu in the eyes and, despite the fear, held firm to his humanity until the end."

"This isn’t about that, Cam. Humanity’s duty is to fight until the end, to give up everything to avoid surrendering. That’s the real legacy!"

"I’m preparing my daughter the best I can for the future..." He broke into a cough, weak, as if each cough stole seconds of his life.

Damn it... I thought I didn’t want to... We have to get Joshua to accept the dammed implants!

I was panicking more and more. I thought I was against implants, but in that moment, my only desire was for Joshua to get the operation. I wanted him to give up something I believed shouldn’t be given up, just for the sake of a good future.

"Our duty is to endure so that the young can win this war!" Shinpei also grew agitated as Joshua coughed.

DING DONG

We were interrupted by the doorbell and the sirens on the street.

Still coughing, Joshua Cam began to laugh.

"What-what have you done?"

"M-Mr. Cam..." Katy murmured at last.

"I’m sorry, Mr. Yamamoto. Today’s meeting is over..."

"Joshua Cam, what have you done?!"

"Daddy! Daddy!" Little Shizuka cried, banging desperately on the wooden door.

Without wasting a second, Shinpei ran to block her and keep her from entering.

"Joshua!" my boss shouted.

"Daddy!" she kept crying.

"Shizuka, stay still! Leave your father alone...!"

"Daddy!"

"I called the quarantine team. I don’t have much time left as you see..."

"Why would you do that?! What about your family?!"

"They must go on without me and make the most of my inheritance... My ending is already written..." He broke into another cough, struggling to breathe, as if the rot was suffocating him. "I suppose there are still people in the world willing to fight..."

"You’re an idiot!" I snapped desperately as the tension escalated. "You must get the operation, have implants, and live happily with your family!"

"Isayama..." Katy murmured.

"Dad... Grandpa..." Joshua started to ramble.

"Hey, hey! Listen to me!" I insisted as the footsteps of the quarantine team pounded up the old wooden stairs. "Joshua, listen to me!"

"Daddy! Run! Daddy!"

"Shizuka... Aiko... I didn’t mean to hurt you... I didn’t want to ruin your memory of me... I just wanted to follow in their footsteps..." Fighting, with a vacant gaze, he struggled not to cry. "Dad... What am I doing...?"

"Step aside, child. We need to arrest the infected." The team arrived at the door.

"Get the operation!"

"Isayama..." Katy tugged on my arm sadly, stopping me from getting too close to the infected.

"Agree to the operation! Joshua!" I shouted one last time as the quarantine team burst into the room. "Huh?"

Suddenly, I froze. Joshua was staring distantly at the ceiling.

Cold.

At that very moment, he stopped breathing.

Just as the quarantine team entered the room.

From nothing, to nothing…

...

Despite his efforts, I never got to understand him…

Minutes later, the officials declared Joshua Cam deceased. Without wasting a moment, they made us all leave the house to ensure it was safe to inhabit and that neither Aiko nor Shizuka—who didn’t seem able to comprehend what had happened—were infected.

W-what the hell happened…?

Joshua’s room was declared contaminated, and the family was prohibited from entering it until notice.

Shinpei had to stay to report what had happened and complete all the case paperwork, as well as share all clues about the virus’s traceability with the quarantine team.

A-again?

Meanwhile, both Katy and I gazed out the window, lost in the silence of death, each with our own way of bearing grief. I was still breathing nervously, but she carried her sadness inside. As if the only rot she faced was in her heart.

Yamaguchi-sensei… Did I lose a-again?