FireCacodemon: Welcome to the very first chapter of Trauma Center: A Pathogenic War - Forgotten Chapters!

Derek: Trauma Center belongs to Atlus. The cover image belongs to Aileen-Rose.

FireCacodemon: Enjoy the chapter~ This chapter is based after Chapter 25 but before Chapter 26.

Information about this Chapter:

This chapter is based after Chapter 25 but before Chapter 26.

Rated T.

The Common Cold Strikes Again!

"Hey bro, do you have a day off tomorrow?" Tyler asked Derek as they walked out of Caduceus. This was one of the rare moments when Angie had to go somewhere else after work so she couldn't go home with Derek. Derek just simply nodded, he didn't feel right. Sure the operation had gone well and the Healing Touch was painfully used but this was different from the other times. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him; he could just feel his temperature rising ever so slightly as each second passed. Tyler noticed that there was something wrong, he had been with Amy since she became infected and his 'brother' senses were starting to beep. They often went off when someone really close to Tyler was either ill or troubled. With Amy cured of Deftera, the only other reason for the alarms to go off in Tyler's mind would be because of Derek. "Are...you okay?"

"Y-yeah..." Derek tried to smile at Tyler but it didn't happen. Derek didn't feel like he had the energy to smile.

"Yeah, you don't look well, come on. I'm taking you home," Tyler quickly put his backpack on his back and then placed both his hands on Derek's shoulders. He started to push Derek towards his car, smiling like an idiot.

"Wha...?" Derek asked confused as Tyler pushed him towards the car. It was a car that suited Tyler, something new with a cool looking radio, comfortable seats and decent air conditioning. The colour of the car was a deep blue, which seemed to fit Tyler.

"Yup, I drive a car now," Tyler smiled as he let Derek gently lean on the car as he pulled out his car keys and unlocked the car. Opening up the door, Tyler helped Derek get inside. Tyler noticed that Derek was getting paler and paler and started to look a lot like a fever, Tyler had seen a fever break out among Amy many times before she became infected with GUILT, and he knew exactly how to look after Derek. Once Derek was inside the car, he buckled the surgeon in; Tyler shut the door and moved to get into the driver's seat. Glancing over at Derek, he smiled to see Derek fast asleep, gently leaning against the window. "Hang on mate," Tyler brought out his phone and called Sidney.

"This is Sidney Kasal, who is calling, please?" Sidney's voice emerged from the phone.

"Hey Sidney, it's Tyler~"

"What do you want Dr. Chase?"

"I just thought I'd let you know that Derek's starting to come down with a fever, I don't know if it'll be gone by the time he's needed back for work."

"Take care of him, Greg would scold me if he found out that I let Derek fall ill and not notice." Tyler smirked as he heart Sidney talking like that. How he talked about Greg was always interesting.

"Well, I better go and get Derek home so he can rest. The car isn't the best place." Tyler chuckled and hung up the phone and put it on silent. It was best not to have any distractions while he was driving. He turned the engine of the car on and drove off.

Trauma Center: A Pathogenic War - Forgotten Chapter – The Common Cold Strikes Again!

Derek gently stirred awake. He felt horrible with a pounding head, uncomfortable in sweat and his body feeling like an energy vampire had drained him dry. To top it all off, he was blind so everything was blurry and fuzzy, mixing into each other in a mess of colours which resulted in the headache pounding more. Inhaling the air, he wasn't bothered by a fuzzy, warm body that meowed to get his attention; instead he was met with an aroma which he didn't know. He tried to reach for his glasses but it became apparent to him that his energy had not returned so he couldn't reach for his glasses. Derek was stuck lying wherever he was lying with unfamiliar territory surrounding him. Derek frowned as he let his memories play back to get an idea on where and how he got into this situation in the first place. All he could remember was walking out of Caduceus and then he heard Tyler's voice

"Did...Tyler take...me home...?" Derek asked confused. "Gemma...?" Derek called out for her, he knew that it was pointless but the chance that a familiar meow could be heard...Derek wanted to hear it. He wanted to hear something familiar or see a blur familiar to the point where he could feel safe.

"Gemma? Who's that?" Derek heard a familiar voice, the voice of Tyler. A few of his worries melted away hearing that familiar voice.

"She's...my cat..." Derek smiled slightly.

"Man, you never told me you had a cat~" Tyler smiled.

"My...glasses...?" Derek asked as he tried to force himself to sit up right. A hand was immediately placed on his chest with just enough force to keep him down on the bed.

"Rest man, you work yourself too hard for everyone else. Angie told me that the Healing Touch takes a huge chunk of energy out of you. Guess it also makes you vulnerable to the common cold."

"It...Isn't GUILT...?"

"Na. Your symptoms don't match any GUILT we have on record, rest Derek." Tyler gently gave Derek a few pets. "Reminds me of med school when you got yourself all worked up? Remember?" Derek nodded weakly.

"Yeah...you have me...a few pets too and it worked..." Derek smiled.

"It works with Amy as well. She used to cry from the pain of Deftera and I stayed by her side, just holding her and petting her until she cried herself to sleep or the waterworks stopped."

"Thank you..." Derek looked at the blurry yellow blob which was Tyler. "You...look like...a blob when...I don't have my glasses."

"Haha, I bet I do. You're as blind as a bat without your glasses on. Anyway, I'm going to go and take your temperature and bring you a cold flannel to place on your head."

"Did...you edit your thesis...?"

"Hmm? Oh that? Yeah, I did that. Apparently, they really liked it. So...thanks for that."

"Friends look...out for each other...huh?"

"You can say that again. I'll be back." Tyler got up from Derek's side and left the room. Derek smiled; Tyler had done what Derek asked him to. He was glad to see that Tyler was doing better with Amy cured as well. It must have taken a lot off his back and allowed him to start enjoying life against instead of seeing Amy suffer like he had done the past two years. Realising that, Derek was currently being a burden on Tyler. His immune system always seemed weaker than others so that was why he had taken the vitamin tablets...It was probably to the point of an addiction now because he was craving a tablet now.

"Can't believe...I think I'm...addicted to vitamin tablets." Derek chuckled to himself. He'll just have to ask Tyler to feed this addiction he had. It was strange, when Derek fell ill from something; his body seemed to demand one more tablet than normal. He took the normal tablet taken at the start and a tablet taken just before bed, never a tablet during the day. Derek often just shrugged it off (although an addiction to vitamin tablets is just as lethal as an addiction to nicotine) and continued on with his life. His mind drifted off to Gemma and wondered what she was doing. It was probably about time that she got fed and he was stuck here with a stupid cold thanks to his H- No, it wasn't right to blame the gift he had. If he had control over it...the result would probably be the same. He just had the weaker immune system; it didn't have anything to do with the Healing Touch. He was just glad that Tyler told him that it was just the common cold instead of GUILT. He was sure that if he became infected with GUILT, then he would be screwed. He was pretty sure that Robert wasn't going to operate on him if he became infected so soon. He was a retired surgeon and Derek didn't think of himself worthy enough to be operated on by Robert.

Tyler came back into the room and took up his spot next to Derek. "Open up," he said and Derek opened up his mouth so the thermometer could be placed under his tongue. Once that was in, Derek closed his mouth and a cool flannel was placed on Derek's forehead. "Once this is out your mouth, I want you to take a nap and get as much rest as you can, okay?" Tyler asked Derek, the surgeon nodded. "When you wake up, I'll make you some chicken soup. That'll really help with your cold."

"Can...I have...a drink?" Derek asked, making sure to keep the thermometer under his tongue.

"Of what?"

"Just...so I can...have a vitamin tablet."

"Still taking them? Is it one in the morning and one at night?" Derek shook his head.

"I need...one now..."

"Don't...you think you need to drop these? I know this has been happening for a long time, since med school but it's...worrying me."

"..." Derek looked away from the blurry blob Tyler.

"I know it isn't my business but...if I were you, I'd find something else to do when you get the cravings...Quit the vitamins." He took the thermometer out from Derek's mouth and read it, thirty-nine degrees Celsius. Derek had the common cold.

"I don't...know how to explain it..."

"Hmm?"

"The drive for the tablets...I didn't have it...when I was little...but a lot of things...happen I don't understand...one day though...I'll find the answer. Just like...I'll gain control...over the Healing Touch...and why I can hear GUILT...but for now...I'm waiting...for the right opportunity..."

"Well...We'll both do our best. Go and get some rest."

"Right..." Derek gently shut his eyes and tried to drift off to sleep. He heard Tyler get up again and leave the room.

Trauma Center: A Pathogenic War - Forgotten Chapter – The Common Cold Strikes Again!

Tyler watched over Derek and made sure that he was doing everything he could to help the surgeon to get back on his feet. They brought up some interesting conversations from the past and Tyler just made sure that Derek kept in a happy mood. Happiness and Time are the best medicines and with everything going on with GUILT...Tyler could easily tell that Derek just wanted to get up and help patients once more. Tyler found out that the only reason Sidney looked at Derek was because he could cure GUILT, no matter what form it came in and how violent it became when it saw that Derek was there operating. Occasionally Tyler heard Derek muttering in his sleep that Tyler himself didn't understand. He could only guess that Derek was trying to figure out something but he wasn't sure what. When asked, Derek was unaware of what he had been muttering about. The cold had lasted longer than wanted by everyone and had lasted about four days before Derek finally showed signs of recovery. Tyler had been taking care of Derek, making sure that he had everything he needed such as the vitamin tablets, soups, plenty of water.

"Derek...I'm home," Tyler called out after returning home from work.

"Where you left me," Derek replied. Tyler walked into the living room to find that Derek was sitting upright, the colour had returned to his face and his fever was gone, Derek had found his glasses and had placed them on his face. Just seeing Derek with all that energy was a good sign. Tyler couldn't feel his brother sense blaring so even he was sure that Derek had recovered. "Hey~" Derek smiled.

"You look as good as new bro~" Tyler smiled as he took a seat next to Derek. "What have you been up to then?"

"I hope you don't mind, I've been reading your books."

"I don't mind, I don't really read them anymore. Not one for TV?"

"Want...to go out tonight?"

"Why?"

"Just a quick meal to say thanks. My treat."

"Well, if you're offering, I'll take~"

FireCacodemon: Here's a few notes.

1) Some chapters may contain spoilers for Trauma Center: A Pathogenic War. I will mark chapters with (S) if I believe it to be a spoiler.

2) There's no update schedule for this story. I'll write chapters for this when I feel like it.

3) Still debating on a few things. User choice, Additional scenes, Alternative scenes. Let me know what you would like.

4) All these chapters are "One-shot" chapters. They will not play a part in the main story.

5) I will not publish any "One-shot" chapters which are past the main story. If it hasn't happened in Trauma Center: A Pathogenic War, it won't happen here either.

FireCacodemon: I hope that clears a few things up for this Book. This book will be mentioned in Trauma Center: A Pathogenic War too.

Derek: If you do review this story and you've logged in. We will message you with a review response. We won't be responding to them in this Book. Sorry.

FireCacodemon: Well, originally, the first chapter for this book was going to be on Halloween...but then I came down with a cold...so I passed it to Derek.

Derek: Thanks...

FireCacodemon: You're welcome~ Anyway, thanks for reading this~ Be back next chapter.