Alice no Toge (Alice's Thorn / アリスの棘)

I've already thrown everything away. To take revenge on every single person

who drove my father to his death.

15 years ago, the person who passed on false information about Osanai Sensei to me

was Hyuga.

Hyuga got it this time.

I wanted to return the favor as a reporter.

Another person with a deep connection to the Gastroenterological Surgery Dept. is gone, huh?

It's for the sake of cleansing this hospital.

Certainly.

I ask you to continue your observation.

So, Sensei. How did the test result turn out?

Well...

- Tani-kun. - Yes.

Sensei?

You have liver cancer.

What?

You have liver cancer.

It's spread to the lungs.

Then...please operate on him immediately.

Surgery is meaningless at this point.

Don't cry.

It's okay.

It's okay.

What would you like to do now?

You can go home and rest, or

get transferred to a hospice.

Just a minute.

Palliative care is outside our area of specialty.

Are you going to abandon me?

This is a place to treat patients who can be cured.

Professor Bandai's quite a guy.

For a while, bad rumors almost spread because of the uproar caused by Hyuga.

The opinion leader of the Gastroenterological Surgery Department is immovable, huh?

Come in.

Excuse me.

Congratulations on your appointment as Chairman of the Guideline Committee.

Are you satisfied now that you sold out Hyuga?

That's because I was betrayed by Hyuga Sensei.

I couldn't believe he'd say something like that at the press conference.

I was able to prove that the hospital's decision had no basis in fact.

Thanks to him, I was clobbered for writing a false report.

For something that happened 15 years ago.

So, what's the real reason you're here?

The thing is,

before all that happened,

Hyuga Sensei told me something disturbing.

In regards to Osanai Sensei.

That his death

was caused by a medical error. Is that true?

You know something, right?

So what if I do?

Do you have proof?

If you don't have proof,

truth doesn't exist either.

I'm positive.

Bandai knows everything.

15 years ago, that guy

had his subordinates try out the latest technology, knowing the danger.

In order to succeed in the surgery everyone was talking about

and make it his own achievement.

The surgeons Bandai chose were Date and Chihara.

But they ran into difficulties with the new procedure and failed.

Bandai ordered them to cover up the mistake.

What's more, in order to

elude you and the public,

he framed Osanai Sensei for the crime.

Bandai's the mastermind behind the plot that drove your father to his death.

Finally, the last and biggest foe.

Here you go.

- Try it, if you like. - Ah, thanks.

I'll go check out the people who are likely to know what happened 15 years ago.

- What about you? - I'll draw out information from Bandai's son.

When did those two become friends?

It's great to be young, huh?

Professor Bandai, I'm with Okita Pharmaceutical.

Please give me a little of your time. Just 5 minutes will do.

Professor, can you give me some time in regards to the schedule for the clinical trial?

Sure.

Sorry, but we have a long-standing relationship.

- Tezuka Pharmaceutical... - How much money are they heaping on him?

Thank you.

We are truly honored that you agreed to take part in the clinical trial.

Besides, if this clinical trial is successful,

it can contribute to the progress of your research.

It's a great honor for our company if it can serve as a stepping stone for the Hospital Director's election.

By the way, I heard.

That you were undertaking the treatment of that mountaineer, Hagiwara Koichi.

You sure keep your ear to the ground.

Please have him participate in the clinical trial by all means.

It would be a big advertising opportunity for us as well.

That goes without saying.

Professor, the usual yokan (azuki bean jelly) for you.

I brought you three today.

Clinical Trial Kickoff Meeting

I'm Yoshida from Tezuka Pharmaceutical R&D Department.

Please take a look at the handout in front of you.

This new investigational new drug (IND) RX-1

is a new drug that reduces recurrence risk after surgery for progressive gastric cancer.

From among the patients who had surgery for gastric cancer,

please enlist as many patients as you can who meet the requirements of the clinical trial.

Carry on.

This time, at the discretion of Professor Bandai,

we will be conducting a clinical trial.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

I'll continue.

Please direct your attention to page 7.

I'm having my patient, Hagiwara Koichi-san, participate too.

But Professor, Hagiwara-san has

Lewis antigens Le a- and Le b-.

We don't have sufficient data to administer the new drug to him.

Before we administer it to Hagiwara-san, try it out first on this patient.

Yamane Masaru

You mean we're testing it on this patient so see if

it's compatible with Hagiwara-san?

The hospital has two types of patients.

Patients who need to be saved no matter what, and

all other patients.

But if, by any chance, there's a side effect...

He's a patient with progressive gastric cancer who just had surgery.

Even if something does happen to him,

it's not unnatural.

That's terrible.

I can't believe he's experimenting with another patient.

I suppose that's how special this patient Hagiwara is to him.

What does he think human lives are?

You father took advantage of his position as a doctor

and lined his own pocket.

- You're wrong. - He's the scum of the earth.

I'm going to drag him down.

Hagiwara-san, you're not supposed to overexert yourself.

I can go to the bathroom already. Don't underestimate a mountain man.

- Good morning. - Good morning, Dad.

How many days since you had your surgery?

This is my fifth day.

Then, you're one day ahead of me.

- Hey, say you're greeting. - Hello.

Hi there. Did you come to visit your papa?

- Yes. - How old are you?

- 7 years old. - Second grade?

- Oh, Asumi Sensei. - Yes?

Say, did you know

- they're having this thing soon? - No.

It's a get-together for the younger doctors and nurses.

But I'm not sure if we fit in the "younger" category.

- So you wanna go together? - I'm sorry.

I have something planned for that day.

It's like there's a wall there, huh?

Mizuno Sensei. I wonder if she can't get acclimated.

I thought we finally got a doctor with a backbone, but

it appears there's also something suspicious about this Mizuno Asumi-san, huh?

Yes.

She's currently on Bandai Sensei's Clinical Trial Team, right?

Yes.

Keep your eye on her as much as you can.

Will do.

I hope I'm just worrying about nothing.

Hagiwara Koichi.

Asumi Sensei.

- Good evening. - Say...

aren't you hungry? We made too much curry yesterday.

- No, I... - It would be a waste to throw it away.

Wanna come over? Or rather, please come. Okay?

What type of curry do you like?

We don't have any potatoes in ours.

- Here you go. - Mm~ Smells good.

- Good evening. - Hey.

Daiki, how many hours of TV a day?

Cut that out!

Help yourself to all the food and all the drinks you want.

But there actually is a pretty doctor like you.

Daiki, have her teach you how you can get smarter.

That's a waste of time. I'm your son after all.

Daiki doesn't have to study too much since he's carrying on with the shop, right?

Daiki, are you planning to carry on the shop?

You just don't want to study.

That's not the reason.

Dad's crying again.

Aw come on. That reaction's from the Showa era.

You idiot. Who's crying?

You're crying. Come on.

Dad, let's eat.

I'll pour you the curry.

You laugh too much.

Here, a present for you.

Cute, huh?

Even when you're busy, it's soothing when you look at flowers.

Thank you.

- Sorry, we're such a silly family. - Not at all.

They're warm and cheerful.

I'm envious.

Actually, I am grateful to my parents for raising us by running this tiny shop.

That's why I want to get married and let them live comfortably.

Someone who has a stable life,

takes good care of my family,

someone with a kind heart.

Is there someone you like?

Sort of. By the way, can you drop the formal talk?

Let's just talk casually between us.

We're friends, right?

Since you just got here, things may not always go well, but