Alice no Toge (Alice's Thorn / アリスの棘)

I'm Mizuno Asumi with the Gastroenterological Surgery Department.

I look forward to working with you.

The essence of a university hospital is research.

This is the first time I wasn't asked if I'm that professor's son.

I'm Nishikado.

I write for the medical section of Maicho Shimbun.

One surgery. Two reports.

Date performed the surgery by constantly consulting the manual

for the sole purpose of getting recognition for herself!

You killed that father of mine.

But I wasn't the only one at fault.

Chihara, who was my advisor at the time...

You want my reputation to fall? At any rate, we've got to stop the bleeding!

- Are you telling me to go to the police? - I'm not a champion of justice.

It's easy. You just have to submit to everything I say.

Because my revenge

has only just begun.

Osanai Asumi-chan.

I recognized you. From the very beginning.

You remember me too, don't you?

By even changing your name,

what in the world are you planning to do at this hospital?

My speculation is this.

15 years ago,

this hospital was anxious to mark its achievement with its first laparoscopic surgery.

The result of that was a failed surgery.

In other words, your father died due to medical error.

But you got hold of some evidence of that medical error.

And you came to this hospital to take revenge...

Stop letting your imagination run wild.

You'll never understand how I feel.

I'm sorry.

I want to apologize for what happened 15 years ago.

Then

keep quiet about me.

That's the only thing you can do.

She's so not sweet.

- Thank you for your time. -Okay~.

- So the pain is in your upper abdomen? - Yes, from about a month ago.

I see.

Why don't we wait and see for a while?

But it feels like there's a lump.

Anyway, let's wait and see for a little longer.

How is it?

Let's wait and see for a while.

We'll wait and see.

I'll prescribe some more of your usual medication.

Chihara Sensei.

Hosokawa-san, the patient you saw earlier, has been coming for 3 months now.

Do I know you?

I'm Hoshino with the Gastroenterological Surgery Department.

Perhaps you should have him tested further...

He just has gastric polyps. Why don't you have an intern do an endoscopy or something?

I have my research paper to write.

Papa.

Miku~.

You came again. Are you on your way home from kindergarten?

Yes. She insisted on coming to see you.

Is that right~?

You center part creep with glasses.

Shithead with glasses? Pervert with glasses?

Did something happen?

That asshole Chihara. The only thing he says to the patient

who'd been waiting for hours is "Let's wait and see."

All he cares about is his research and he doesn't give a damn about his patients. It's unbelievable.

Chihara Sensei.

- May I ask who you are? - Have you forgotten?

My wife and I were here to see you regularly for 6 months.

My wife's name is Enomoto Yumiko.

You diagnosed her with chronic gastrisis...

Ah...

She wasn't getting anywhere with you, and when I took her to another hospital,

they said she has pancreatic cancer.

They asked why she didn't come in sooner.

My wife almost died because of you.

How are you going to take the responsibility?

Ah...

Are you filing a complaint?

Do you have any proof that she almost died because of me?

- Please give me a logical explanation. - Proof?

Will you stop making false accusations when you don't even have proof?

If you'll excuse me.

Why was Dad's surgery a failure?

Are you filing a complaint? We did our best too.

Where's the proof that we failed?

Papa, what were you doing?

Papa was

getting rid of a bad guy. Let's go.

Will Chihara Sensei be the next professor after all?

Now that Date Sensei's gone, he's going all out to make a case for himself.

I'm honored to be on the next professor, Chihara Sensei's team.

Oh, stop it with that professor business. You're jumping the gun.

- Hey. - I'm sorry.

What the heck are you doing~.

Chihara Sensei, why aren't you picking it up!

- What? - Imai-san's condition took a sudden turn.

- Who's Imai? - One of your patients!

- Oh. Ask the doctor on duty. - What?!

But the doctor on duty is just a first year resident...

Then tell the medical advisor.

Hours for clinical consultation is until 17:00. What time is it now?

18:28. You understand, don't you?

- Uh....Kusano-kun, was it? - It's Hoshino.

Fine.

If you plan to stay at the University Hospital,

I suggest you remember this.

Doctors can get a job anywhere as long as we have a medical license.

The reason we choose the low paying university hospital

is because it's a valuable place for research that's only available to a select few.

If we make a discovery through our research,

thousands and thousands of patients can be saved.

In order to do that, you have to create your own environment to focus on your research.

A doctor's reputation is built on the number of research papers rather than surgeries.

There are countless ways you can fudge on the number of surgeries.

You don't have to do much but put on a sociable smile for your patients.

Doctors don't have enough time to be tied down by patients or scalpel.

I'll remember that.

Do you give up now, rookie!

- You again? - Kenta!

Mizuno Sensei. I'm sorry.

That's okay.

Why're you acting so shy?

I'm gonna confiscate that, Kenta.

Thief!

What do you mean thief? I'm gonna shoot you.

Bandai Sensei's son and

that's...Mizuno-kun, was it?

Yes...is something wrong?

No, it's nothing.

- Don't follow me, Intern. - Why not?

- Hey, stop that. - Sorry. Excuse us.

Stop getting into so much mischief~.

Good afternoon.

Is he your patient?

Yes. He's hospitalized for the long term, but he doesn't have parents.

- Don't let you personal feelings get in the way. - Pardon me?

Don't commit yourself to one particular patient, is what I'm saying.

You're setting a bad example for other patients.

Don't forget you're the son of a professor.

Don't put me to shame.

I won't.

- Good morning - Excuse me while I put your mask on.

- My gloves are 7-1/2. - Yes.

Minowa Kotaro-san. 40 years old.

We will now proceed with the sigmoidectomy.

Scalpel.

- Watch what you're doing. - I'm sorry.

Look~. That's 10 seconds gone to waste.

Now then, I'm entrusting the rest to you.

- Thank you for your hard work. - Thank you for your hard work.

Okay, electric scalpel please.

Is Chihara Sensei's surgery always like that?

- What do you mean? - Like he just makes the first cut and that's it.

Ah~. That's right.

- So that he can get credit for surgery count. - Oh, really.

If they don't perform enough surgeries, they're looked upon as bad surgeons

and they can't climb the ladder to success.

So he makes the skin incision just to get the count.

I see.

Mizuno Kazufumi

Emergency!

Here you go. Lamb pie.

- Is this the emergency? - It's my new dish.

This is the best thing for the weary senorita in the big cold city of Tokyo. Just eat it.

- It tastes nasty. - Gakun~. Seriously?

That's why I told you not to serve it to customers.

Crap. Oh, well. Wait until the next one.

By the way, how's work?

If there's any problem, you can tell your father anytime, okay?

But your dad in heaven must be thrilled too.

That his daughter became a doctor just like him.

I'm not so sure about that.

Adapitnol. Indications.

Pigmentary Degeneration of the Retina

Narrowed field of vision occurs frequently.

In particular, the field of vision narrows markedly when exposed to tense situations.

Narrowing of the field of vision.

He performs surgeries in this condition?

Secret?

Blindfold...

What's with this bullshit!

Worried about something?

Actually, it's about Kenta.

My father.

Your father?

Is it a bad thing for a doctor to give support to his patient?

Professor Bandai's son...

There are doctors

who only look at medical records

and don't even try to meet their patients' eyes.

But I think it's also important for doctors to

get to know each patient individually.

You should strive to be a doctor that suits your own style.

...tomorrow's bound to be a good day.

Right?

His condition worsened during surgery. I'm sorry.

Why...why? Why?

It's about your dad.

I wrote this article. I verified the hospital's story too.

- There's no way Dad would do this. - Osanai Sensei sure had us fooled.