Back Alley Doctor Glenn/Chapter 1

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* English
* Japanese

> **Chapter 1: The Back Alley Doctor**
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> Remiferia, the 'principality of the beautiful north,' was renowned across Zemuria for its advanced medical care. Its modern, well-funded hospitals attracted skilled doctors from a multitude of countries, and its cutting-edge medical technology was developed by specialists from the finest manufacturers the principality had to offer.
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> However, despite how brilliantly this nation's medical excellence shone, it concealed a dark side as well. Implementation of orbal technology had been put off for years in the poorer downtown district. As a result, it lacked not only the quality of life, but the level of hospital care that the principality was so known for. Deep in this quiet, run-down area--where the already-chilly region's winds seemed to bite with a pronounced sting--stood only a single clinic.
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> The 40-year-old building's age was apparent with but a glance. Its dilapidated exterior did a thorough job of extinguishing any hope of finding a decent general practitioner within. On this particular day, the silhouettes of two people could be seen through its dirty, cracked windows.
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> 'O-One m-million mira?!' shouted an older man as his eyes hysterically darted across the sea of zeroes that flooded his bill.
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> Across from him sat a large man in his mid-thirties, sporting an unkempt beard that perfectly accented his apathetic demeanor. Few would recognize this massive, muscular figure as a doctor if not for the filthy, frayed lab coat he wore.
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> 'Ah, my bad. Got that number wrong, didn't I?' the doctor answered in a low voice. He took the bill from the older man and quickly scribbled an extra zero on the end. Seeing the price jump by tenfold in an instant, the old man's face changed from an anxious pale to a furious shade of red just as quickly.
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> 'D-Dirty swindler! Th-These treatment costs are ridiculous! I refuse to pay this!' And indeed, it was far beyond what any legitimate doctor was legally allowed to charge for medical services in Remiferia. Watching the outraged old man sputter and curse, the doctor couldn't help but laugh.
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> 'Something tells me you've got more than enough mira sitting around. Hard to say if any of it's clean, but I'll still accept it, kind man that I am.'
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> The patient was a corrupt politician, his infamy bolstered by unending rumors surrounding his bribery and tax evasion. He had come to the doctor that day with three bullets in his body.
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> It was apparent by his choice of physician that the politician had landed himself in some manner of serious trouble. Trouble that would ruin his reputation if his wounds had become publicly known. As this particular doctor had extracted the bullets in secret, however, the standard surgery costs had been bolstered by a few additional fees to ensure his silence.
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> 'I figured that would be more than a fair price in exchange for one's life,' the doctor said with a calm tone that only barely concealed the threat behind his words. However, this simply served to provoke the old man even further. In a rage, he drew a concealed orbal gun and thrust it into the doctor's back. The doctor, unperturbed, simply continued smiling.
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> 'Oh? Well, as your physician, I feel I should advise you: your treatment isn't quite complete just yet. If you put a bullet in me, I certainly won't be able to take that last one out of you.' He turned and pointed his finger at the old man's stomach.
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> Running his hand over the spot the doctor indicated, the old man felt a jolt of pain. There was something hard still lodged under his skin. The doctor had intentionally left the last bullet untouched. Realizing the position he was in, the old man slowly lowered his gun, a look of pained defeat on his face.
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> 'I trust that clears up the issue of the bill, then?'
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> The flames of anger left the old man's eyes. All that remained was fear.
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> Shortly afterward, the doctor finished the surgery.
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> The doctor's name was Glenn. Despite being an exceptionally talented doctor, he was unaffiliated with any of the hospitals in the principality. Known as a 'back alley doctor,' he treated everyone from politicians to illegal immigrants to murderers, and demanded outrageous prices in return for his secrecy.
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> A few days later, Glenn sat in his worn-down chair and gazed absently at the suitcase containing ten million mira that had been delivered to his clinic.
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> He moved his gaze to the window and stared at the heavy drops of rain splashing against the pane. It was uncommon to get such laden raindrops in the colder northern climate of Remiferia.
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> Surely, no clients would be showing up today of all days, he thought to himself as sheets of water began pounding on his window and the din of the rain grew even louder outside.
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> 'P-Pardon me.'
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> The sudden sound of a voice from behind him snapped Glenn out of his thoughts. He turned his head to see a nurse standing in the hallway of his dilapidated clinic.
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> **第１回　闇医者**
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> 『美しき北の公国』レミフェリアは、
> 医療先進国として名を馳せている。
> 最新設備の整った病院には優秀な医師が集まり、
> 優良な医療機器メーカーがしのぎを削っている。
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> しかし、医療の発達したこの国にも影の部分はある。
> 例えばこの「下町」は導力化が後回しにされ、
> 公都にあるような立派な病院はない。
> 北国独特の肌寒さが際立つような寂しい町。
> そこには、診療所がたった１軒のみだ。
> 築４０年の建物は見るからに老朽化しており、
> まともな開業医は期待できないように見える。
> ──その屋内に今、２つの人影があった。
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> 「ひゃ、ひゃ、１００万ミラだと……！？」
> その一方である老人は、請求書に記された
> 予想を上回るゼロの数を見て素っ頓狂な声を上げた。
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> 老人に相対するのは、ボサボサの髪の毛に
> 手入れされてない無精ヒゲを蓄える３０代半ばの男。
> 筋肉質の巨躯に薄汚れた白衣を着ていなければ、
> 一目で彼を医師だと気づける人間は少ないだろう。
> 「あぁ悪い、ケタが一つ間違ってたようだな。」
> 低く通る声で答えた医師は、
> 請求書にもう一つゼロを書き足した。
> １０倍に跳ね上がった数字を再確認して、
> 老人の顔色は焦りの青から怒りの赤へと変貌する。
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> 「ぼ……暴利だ！　こんな馬鹿げた治療費、
> 　払えるわけがないだろう！」
> それはレミフェリアの法に定められた、
> 医師が患者に請求できる上限を遥かに超える額だ。
> しかし、怒りをあらわにする老人を見てなお、
> 医師はにやりと口元を歪めて笑っていた。
> 「あんたが今までたんまり稼いできた汚いミラがあるだろう？」
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> この老人は、俗に言う悪徳政治家だ。
> 贈収賄や脱税など、数々の黒い噂が絶えない。
> ある日、老人は３発の銃弾を受けて
> ここに運び込まれた。
> おそらく、公にすると政治生命を絶たれるような
> '何らかのトラブル'に巻き込まれたのだろう。
> だがこの医師は、それらを追求せずに
> 老人の体から弾丸を摘出する手術をした。
> ──要するに、口止め料込みの手術代なのだ。
> 「命の代金としちゃ安いもんだと思うがね」
> 脅迫ともとれるその言葉に老人は逆上する。
> そして隠し持っていた導力銃を医師に突きつけた。
> 医師はそれでも笑みを崩さない。
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> 「……実は、あんたの体にはまだ銃弾が残っている。俺を殺せばそいつは取り除けなくなるぜ。」
> そう言って、老人の腹部に人差し指を当てる。
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> 手術痕のない皮膚の下に硬い感触があった。
> 医師は、わざと銃弾を摘出せずに残していたのだ。
> 老人はその鈍痛に、銃を落としてうずくまる。
> 「……で、払うかい？」
> 医師は、再手術はサービスしてやると続けた。
> 彼を見上げた老人の瞳から怒りの炎が消失する。
> 残ったのはただ、医師への恐怖のみだった。
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> ──診療所の開業医の名は、グレン。
> 天才的な外科医術の腕を持ちながら、
> 公国に存在するどの病院にも在籍していない。
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> 政治家、密入国者、殺人犯に至るまで、
> 訳ありの患者の手術ばかりを請け負い、
> 法外な治療費を請求する'闇医者'だ。
> 数日後、グレンはボロい椅子に座って、
> １０００万ミラの納められたケースを
> つまらなそうに眺めていた。
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> 窓の外を見ると、雨が降っていた。
> 北国のレミフェリアでは珍しい、大粒の雨だ。
> この天気じゃ、今日は客は来ないだろう──
> ふと、聞こえていた雨音が急に強くなった。
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> 「──ごめんください。」
> その声に、グレンは振り向く。
> 診療所の玄関に１人の看護師が立っていた。
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