System, I'm Sick...Again!

Ezekiel (7)

"—Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday, Ezekiel!"

"Make a wish, honey."

'I wish to have a harder world next time and to not spend decades here in this world.'

After Chaim blew the candles, everubody clapped and cheered.

[Are they mentally ill?]

{I don't know. They were probably the type of children who claps when a plane lands and waves when a plane passes by.}

[Do you think they still do it now?]

{Who knows?}

"What did you wish for, Z?" Ryden asked.

"If I told you then it wouldn't come true."

"Come on, let's eat." Elijah said. He grabbed a plate, filled it with food, and gave it to Ezekiel.

"Taste it. I wanna know if the great Ezekiel approves of my cooking."

Ezekiel took a bite and looked at Elijah.

"Wow, it tastes good. When did you learn how to cook?"

"A week ago, and it was not fun. I'll tell you that much."

The next day, they were preparing for Ezekiel's surgery. They made sure he didn't eat an hour before, and now they were waiting for the nurse to take him.

"Don't be nervous, Z. They'll be done before you know it."

"You should be telling yoirself that, Kithe. You look more nervous than me, and you're head isn't even gonna get cut in half."

"Yeah, we shouldn't worry. Not with the lucky egg, guiding him." Elijah said while rubbing Ezekiel's head. The nurse shaved his head last night to prepare him. And ever since, Elijah has been teasing him because of his 'shiny head'. When in truth, there's still about a few cetimeters of hair left.

"Stop calling me an egg. It's worse enough that they're gonna break me open like a real egg."

A few more teasing and laughter later, two nurses came in to wheel Ezekiel into the operating room.

"See you later, guys." Ezekiel waved amd smiled at his friends and family until the doors closed.

His surgeon approached his family.

"I'll do my very best. Ezekiel is a strong child. See you in a couple of hours."

The surgeon went in and they waited.

One...two...three...and seven hours have passed but there was no sign of the doors opening.

"Does it normally take this long?" Ryden asked.

"I searched it up, my phone says that this kind of surgery normally takes three to five hours."

"Really, Kithe? The internet?"

"What? Its the most readily available source of information right now."

"In a hospital? Sure."

Then, the doors opened, but instead of a surgeon coming out, a panicked nurse came out.

"Is any of you type AB or O?"

"Me, I'm type AB. I'm Ezekiel's brother. Is there something wrong?"

"You have to come with me immediately. Have you drunk or taken medication in the past three days?"

"No. What is this about? Why does Ezekiel need blood?"

"Do you have any tattoos and if you do, was it done by a legal business with sterilized needles?"