L: A Case Left Unsolved
My brother made me do it.
I didn't want to.
I wish I hadn't.
But I did.
During Christmas break, when I was visiting my family… I watched the anime called Death Note.
And now the nightmares cannot stop… not for me.
You see, I am a dietitian. I try to help people live longer and feel healthy, happy, and strong by eating the right food. It's not very glamorous, and I have to deal with a lot of people who are struggling in their pursuit of happiness (read: cranky). But when they succeed, I succeed. Every day they eat their broccoli and trade soda for water is a day that I go home feeling like I've saved the world!
So yes, I really love my job. And I've never had a case I couldn't handle…
Until I met him.
"Watari, please bring me some ice cream…"
The whipped cream. It just keeps coming… out of the can. Onto the chocolate syrup, which is on top of the pile of ice cream about 6 inches deep…. Which is on top of chocolate pudding 3 inches deep and enough caramel to fill a salad bowl…
Stop! All that sugar will keep him awake all night! And it could give him a heart attack when he's older! I scream. But the elderly man doesn't seem to hear me. So the whipped cream keeps on coming…
Just when I can't stand it anymore, he turns to set up the tea tray.
I watch in horror as hundreds of sugar cubes are poured into a bowl beside a single cup of tea.
If he doesn't die of malnutrition he'll die of cavities! That's enough!
I scream, pulling on the man's arm… to no avail. The sugar cubes keep pouring into the bowl…
Suddenly time fast-forwards to the pale, thin detective, sitting hunched over his chair in front of a computer. He has dark bags under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in days, and he looks fatigued. He looks like he needs a nutritionist.
I'd recommend a cup of broccoli or carrots with dinner every day…. And of course 8 glasses of water a day, for energy. Most importantly, keep sugar to the minimum, because sugar is known to aggravate insomnia, stress and anxiety, and causes premature ageing, stomach aches, headaches, muscle pain and inflammation, arthritis, problems with your pancreas, adrenal glands, endocrine system, and immune system, and heart disease…..
L picks up a spoon.
I cringe as he grabs the bowl of ice cream.
And eats it.
Next is the bowl of sugar cubes.
He pops one into his mouth and pours the rest into the tea, and drinks it.
I shake my head and back up, feeling lightheaded. Panic rises within me. Lights are changing colors. I feel hot and cold at the same time. I'm screaming in the silence and invisible when they stare… Am I going crazy? No; this is real… he really did… eat all that…
Just as the light is dimming, the detective turns toward me and smiles.
"Oh, is this why you're upset?" He holds up a sugar cube. "Don't worry, I'll share…" he pushes me the bowl.
He is an unsolvable case; the one person holding me back from helping people and saving the world.
I shake my head at the sugar cubes as my ears start ringing and my senses fade…
Sugar coma…
And that's when I wake up.
Author's note:
I hope you like the story! I had fun writing it. Nutrition interests me and I have read a lot about it. The effects of sugar, as I reported them above, are the findings of actual studies; I did not invent them. But I am not a nutritionist or a dietitian, and it is not intended as medical advice, just general information. If you'd like to, leave a review and tell me what you think about this story, or anything mentioned in it!