Back Alley Doctor Glenn/Chapter 1


 * -|English= Chapter 1: The Back Alley Doctor

Remiferia, the 'principality of the beautiful north,' was famous for its advanced medical care. Hospitals equipped with the latest technology attracted the best of the best doctors, and medical technology was developed by the best of the best manufacturers.

However, this nation of medical excellence had a shady side. In an area downtown, orbal research was slow, and the streets lacked any hospitals the principality was publicly known for. On the other hand, this suspicious area didn't lack the chill of the unpleasant north. There stood one clinic.

At a glance, the 40-year-old building revealed its age. Deteriorated, diminished hopes for an ordinary physician. Inside there stood the silhouettes of two people.

'O-One m-million mira?!' shouted the older man hysterically as he noticed more zeros on his bill than expected.

Across from him sat a man in his mid-thirties, sporting an unkempt beard that complemented his laziness. Few would recognize this massive, muscular figure as a doctor without his filthy, white coat.

'Ah, my bad. An exceptional mistake,' the doctor answered in his low voice and added another zero to the sum. Before his eyes, the price jumped tenfold what it was before, to which the old man's face shot from impatiently pale to furious red.

'D-Dirty swindler! Th-These treatment costs are ridiculous! I refuse to pay this!' And indeed, it was far beyond what any doctor established in Remiferia was legally allowed to charge. Watching the furious old man, the doctor couldn't help but laugh. 'You yourself seem to have earned quite a pretty penny as well. Makes me wonder whether it's all clean.'

The patient was a corrupt politician, his infamy bolstered by unending rumors of bribery and tax evasion. On this particular day, he had taken three bullets before he was brought here.

If the public learned of this, his life as a politician would land in 'a kind of trouble.' But this doctor extracted the bullets in secrecy-- in short, he had to pay hush money on top of surgery costs. 'I figured it would be a decent price for one's life,' he threatened, causing the old man to lose his cool. He thrust his concealed orbal gun into the doctor's back. The doctor continued smiling.

'...Well, actually, there is still one bullet within you. If you were to kill me, I wouldn't be able to remove it for you.' He pointed his finger at the old man's stomach.

He felt something hard under his skin where he didn't have a surgery scar. The doctor intentionally left the last bullet untouched. The old man felt a dull pain and lowered his gun. 'So, are we going to pay now?' And with that, the doctor continued the surgery. The flames of anger left the old man's eyes. All that remained was fear.

The doctor's name: Glenn. Despite being an exceptionally talented doctor, he was unaffiliated with any of the hospitals in the principality. He was considered a 'back alley doctor'--treating everyone from politicians to illegal immigrants to murderers--who demanded unreasonable prices in return. A couple days later, in his worn-down chair, he gazed absently at the suitcase containing ten million mira.

He looked outside and saw the rain dripping down the window. Such large raindrops were uncommon in the north of Remiferia. No client would come in during this weather--when the sound of rainfall suddenly became louder.

'P-Pardon me.' Glenn spun around as he heard the voice. There was a nurse standing in the hallway of his dilapidated clinic.
 * -|Japanese= 第１回　闇医者

『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.

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.

「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.

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.

「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？」

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.

「……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.

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.

──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.

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.

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.

「──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.