A/N: The Hey Arnold characters belong to Craig Bartlett, not me. Also, this story is based on a TV show idea I thought of 4 years ago. I tried sending the idea to Craig Bartlett by e-mail, but I didn't have the right e-mail, and the idea was obviously not turned into a TV segment. Therefore, I decided just to put the story on the fan-fiction site.

Chapter 3: The Diagnosis

Eugene slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a hospital room large enough to accommodate his hospital bed. He saw that a somewhat big-boned nurse with curly blonde hair, glasses, and bright red lipstick stood by him. "He's waking up," the nurse said. Then, a doctor with gray hair and glasses entered the room. Eugene's parents followed the doctor into the room.

"Are you okay?" Eugene's mother asked.

"Sort of," Eugene said weakly.

"Son, we've been concerned because you've been in so many accidents that it's nerve-wrecking. Not to mention that it's getting to be very expensive. So we're going to have the doctor here examine you to search for any possible medical imperfection that could be causing this...this…unusual accident prone-ness," Eugene's father said.

The doctor escorted Eugene out of bed, and he led Eugene through a long white hospital hall. At the end was a silver double-door, and the doctor and Eugene went through the doors. There was a very large room that had a big, silver machine that resembled an x-ray machine. There was a place on the wall across from it where someone could be clamped to. The doctor clamped Eugene down, and he operated the machine. Eugene had just waken up, and the doctor hadn't even explained to him what he was doing. Naturally, Eugene had no idea what was happening.

The machine made several high-pitched whirring noises that scared Eugene. Then, there were five big flashes of light. The doctor then unclamped Eugene from the wall and led him back to his hospital bed.

Several hours later, the doctor returned with Eugene's parents. "I have some very bizarre news regarding Eugene," the doctor said, holding some pictures taken from the fancy machine. Eugene's parents looked worried. They looked at the doctor to continue. The doctor held up the pictures. "I took pictures of his body using a new technology that allows us to inspect every aspect of the body. This includes seeing pictures of messages inside Eugene's brain, pictures of split personalities, and well, you get the idea. We were very glad to have this device with us, as I've finally determined what might be the cause of what is causing Eugene to be such a…" the doctor started. He almost said "jinx", but he didn't want to upset Eugene. He also didn't want to make his parents mad at him. "…Inclined to be in accidents on an unusually frequent basis," the doctor said. Eugene's parents waited for the explanation. "You see, I studied these photos, and it seems that there is some sort of radioactive force inside Eugene's entire body. I don't know how it got there or why it's there, but it's possible that the radioactive force is causing Eugene to be…a bad-luck magnet if you will. I don't see how a radioactive force can possibly cause bad luck, but it is the only bizarre thing I found in his body. In addition, nobody else has had a condition like this before, so I cannot be entirely sure that radioactivity can't cause these problems."

"Poor Eugene," Eugene's father said, looking at Eugene, who looked very nervous. The doctor showed Eugene's parents the photos, and then, he put them away in a folder for future reference. "What do you suggest we do about it?" Eugene's father asked.

"Well, since nobody's ever seen anything like this before, we don't know much about it. Therefore, at this point, it can't be cured. However, if you want Eugene to be unharmed, then I would suggest to you to have him move into a new facility called the Jinx-Proof Institution. We have one right here in the city. It was built because there are hundreds of children all over the country that have been called jinxes by their peers. To save them from humiliation and accidents, hospitals from all over the country put their money together and built one. Eugene can stay there. Although it would be a big adjustment from his everyday lifestyle, it would certainly be good for his health," the doctor said.

"So, Eugene, what do you say?" Eugene's mother asked. "You can be free of accidents if you move in." Eugene's father, mother, and the doctor looked at him, waiting for his decision.

Eugene was a little bit nervous. He was unsure what to think. He was happy that he could go to a place where he would never worry about getting in an accident. However, he realized that he would probably have to leave school and leave all his friends. It was a tough decision for Eugene. He had to spend time thinking about it. "Uh, can you come back later when I've made my decision?" Eugene asked.

"Sure," the doctor said. "Come on, let's leave Eugene alone so that he can think about this," the doctor said, escorting Eugene's parents out of the room. "You can wait in the waiting room until Eugene has made up his mind." The doctor shut the door, and now, Eugene was alone in the room.

Eugene could think better now that he was alone. Nobody was staring at him, so he could think at an easier pace. He no longer looked as worried. However, the issue still plagued him. "Should I go to the Jinx-Proof Institution, or should I keep my current life and keep on getting hurt?" thought Eugene. He then decided to weigh the outcomes again. "If I go to the Jinx-Proof Institution, I won't get hurt anymore. However, I will lose all my friends, and the doctors will probably treat me like I'm a sensitive medical patient. If I don't go to the Jinx-Proof Institution, then I will live an essentially normal life and keep my friends. However, I will continue to get hurt on a regular basis. Which is more important to me now?" wondered Eugene. Eugene thought and thought. It was very burdensome. Finally, though, he reluctantly decided to move into the Jinx-Proof Institution. He was so tired of getting into accidents. It was very predictable for him. He got in at least one accident every day, and that was on a good day. He thought he would at least give it a try for a little while to see how he liked it.

Eugene pressed the button on his hospital bed to call in a nurse. Then, a moment later, the same nurse he saw before entered the room. "Hello, how can I help you?" she asked sweetly.

"Can you get the doctor and my parents?" Eugene asked. "Tell them that I've made my decision about the Jinx-Proof Institution."

"Certainly," the nurse said. She headed out the door and went down the hall. A few minutes later, the doctor and Eugene's parents came into the room.

"So, Eugene, what's your decision?" Eugene's father asked.

Eugene was silent for a moment, and then, he said, "I've decided to go to the Jinx-Proof Institution." The room was silent for a while, and then, the doctor and Eugene's parents congratulated him on making a good decision. Then, the doctor explained to Eugene and his parents what the Jinx-Proof Institution would be like. He told them about all the procedures, costs, etc. Eugene's parents realized that it would be somewhat expensive, but it was worth it to keep their boy safe. It was now official. Eugene was going to the Jinx-Proof Institution. This would be an event that would change his life…at least in the near future. Eugene hoped that he could handle it.