What Happened To Me?

Mika slowly opened his eyes and squinted due to the sudden light that hit them. All he could see was a white brightness. Once his eyes adjusted, he realized he was in the hospital room.

What happened?

Gazing at his left arm. An IV line had been inserted, and he was connected to a saline drip. The sun was just rising. He looked out of the window.

 I was at home last...

He turned his head and noticed someone sleeping on a chair next to his bed. The light was hitting that side, making it hard for him to identify the person at first. As the light became familiar, he could make out who it was.

A nurse with blonde hair, perhaps? Although this silhouette felt oddly familiar...

In that moment, he managed to see the person's face.

"Saya?" he exclaimed in surprise. Saya had fallen asleep in the chair, wrapped in a cardigan used as a blanket.

Upon hearing Mika's voice, Saya slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Mika, her eyes widened.

"M-Mika, you're awake!" she said, suddenly hugging Mika, who was still lying in bed.

"W-what happened to me?" Mika asked.

Saya hadn't even listened; she was hugging Mika with one hand and crying with the other.

"I was so scared!" she said.

In a strange way, Mika felt both comforted and guilty. He felt comforted because Saya was by his side when he woke up, but guilty because she had worried so much.

"It's okay, it's over, I'm fine. Please, look up," Mika said.

Saya raised her head, revealing swollen and bruised eye bags. Her face was pale, and she looked at Mika with an expression as if she could burst into tears at any moment.

"Wait, I'm going to inform my family right away."

"Where are they?"

"They've been here since last night. They went to the cafeteria to get breakfast."

"Wait, hold on," Mika said, grabbing Saya's arm as she tried to get up. Saya looked at him in surprise.

"First, tell me what happened. They'll find out everything eventually."

Saya smiled and took Mika's hand, the one that was holding her.

"I'll be right back. Plus, the doctor told me to inform him as soon as you wake up. It's better if you hear it from me."

"O-okay..."

Saya hurried out. Mika watched her leave, then fixed his gaze on the wall in front of him.

Why did she come?

***

Mika's parents rushed over and hugged him. They reunited with their son, exchanging smiles. After his family, Doctor Kota came to his side.

"Good morning, kiddo," he said with a friendly tone.

"Good morning, Kota."

"Did you keep our secret?"

"Huh? Oh, yes."

"Good. I'm going to reveal it today."

"Why? What for?"

Mika's family looked at Doctor Kota, curious.

"Is something wrong, Doctor Kota? I hope it's not something bad," Hana asked with concern.

"No, no, nothing's wrong. Well, at least I don't think so. By the way, it's somewhat related to family matters, but would it be a problem for you if Saya stayed here?"

"Umm, my phone is ringing, it's my mom calling. I need to answer it. You continue talking," Saya said and quickly left the room.

"Alright."

Kota smiled.

 "Alright then, I'll tell you. Mika, you had a seizure around ten last night. It's called epilepsy. Epilepsy is usually either congenital or arises due to sudden traumatic events later in life, and the possibility of developing it afterward is quite low. However, your case is different. Epilepsy in your case occurred as a result of sudden accumulated electrical discharges in the brain."

"Amigdala..." Mika said, understanding the situation.

"That's correct. The excessive stimuli you've experienced in your brain led to the epilepsy. Normally, it's unlikely to recur since it was caused by an isolated excessive stimulation. There was also an increase in volume in your amygdala."

"But how could Mika have experienced any situation? He wouldn't have sensed it even if he did, right?" Ren asked curiously.

"Normally, yes, but as I mentioned before, there was a minor increase in volume in his amygdala during the last check-up. I didn't take it too seriously, but if it grew more and was affected by epilepsy, we could face various scenarios."

"So, what was the actual cause that triggered the sudden discharge, the epilepsy?"

Kota answered with a slight smile,

 "Hidden depression."

"Hidden depression?" Hana exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, probably you've had various events over the past few weeks. These accumulated and finally discharged all at once."

There was a moment of silence in the room. Everyone was looking at Kota, puzzled.

"Now, for the real secret I mentioned. Mika, have you felt anything different recently? Any changes in emotions or thought patterns, anything at all? Based on the information I received from your family, you've mentioned being bored at home."

"When was this?"

"It happened recently, I think."

"During the picnic," Hana answered.

"Yes, well, anyway. That's just an example. Tell me about any other emotions you've felt, or to make it simpler, have you felt or experienced anything suddenly multiple times?"

"Y-yes, quite a few times, actually..."

"Alright, good..." Kota was typing notes on his tablet.

Everyone silently waited for Kota to finish taking notes.

"Okay, now for our little secret. As I mentioned before, there's an enlargement in Mika's amygdala. I can somewhat guess the cause behind it, but I don't feel like it's appropriate to say. This enlargement could signify many things, such as a new brain tumor, emerging brain damage, or the return of emotions."

Mika had heard this before, but this time, hearing it felt strangely unsettling. He looked at his family. They were looking at Kota in shock.

"But of course, it's still too early for that. Especially in a patient who has just experienced epilepsy. However, with your permission, Mika, I'd like to conduct a more comprehensive examination. This time, not just a tomography, but also your blood and some other values, along with some minor tests. It might take a bit longer, but it's crucial for us doctors to understand the situation."

"Okay, no problem. We can start whenever you're ready," Mika said.

His family, who had just recovered from the shock, were struggling to digest this sudden request for further examination.

"HOLD ON A MINUTE!"