For some odd reason, the infirmary was cold, almost unbearably so. Upon entering, NC didn't know where to go. Luckily, when 3803 had fallen into his arms earlier, word spread about the fallen red blood cell (and he had subsequently begun yelling for help, much to his chagrin), which caused his roommate to come as quickly as he could. Immediately, Normal Cell had called upon the macrophages for help. Thank goodness the female immune cells had been gracious enough to respond and to allow both normal cells to accompany them. However, now that he was inside, NC didn't know where to put himself.

It was due to the wisdom and relative ease of Normal Cell that they managed to stay close to AE-3803's room. As they were sitting outside upon hard plastic chairs, Normal Cell tried to engage NC in conversation. A topic that came up (out of pure desperation and randomness), were the glucose pops that were supposedly taking the red blood cells' worlds by storm. Unfortunately for them, Normal Cell hadn't been able to procure a pair of glucose pops for them to enjoy. As he lamented the loss of such a unique opportunity, NC busied himself with observing his surroundings, his lime green eyes never resting.

While they sat, another kind macrophage struck up a conversation with Normal Cell. Apparently, she, too, had heard about the famed glucose pops and had been waiting until her shift at the infirmary would come to an end so that she could treat her charges at one of the bone marrow sites to some of the pops. As Normal Cell regaled the kind macrophage about some other sweet treats the erythroblasts might enjoy, NC mainly kept to himself. It was only because he was subtly eavesdropping for information that he was even aware that they were talking about glucose pops.

For the most part, after the conversation drifted away from glucose pops, the macrophage began to talk about her cute erythroblast charges. At first, NC had been bored to death—who wanted to know why Erythroblast A didn't like certain carbohydrates or that Erythroblast B liked to cuddle with stuffed animals? It was so boring. However, it wasn't until Normal Cell began asking about the frequency in which red blood cells might happen to fall sick in doing their duty did NC intently eavesdrop.

It just so happened that this kind macrophage knew the statistics and how often erythrocytes fell ill or severely fatigued from their jobs. Running to and fro the body led to many of the red blood cells often stressed, but still determined to do their jobs as quickly as possible. It wasn't at all unusual to see a few red blood cells faint here and there. However, the macrophage was quick to reassure both normal cells that their erythrocyte was doing fine and under watch due to her small stature and first time in the infirmary.

Apparently, AE-3803 had never been so severely fatigued.

Still, the fact that red blood cells could be overworked… It made NC feel angry.

Wasn't he in the right? The body this, the body that. Why should anyone care about the health and integrity of the body? Immune cells were always dying for no other reason than to fulfill their duty to the body. Similarly, red blood cells were regulated to transport and deliver packages at the cost of forgetting to eat glucose, which eventually led to bouts of exhaustion. Even worse…

Platelets were so small—why did the body expect them to undertake great feats of architecture?

If only the others would listen to him.

If only Little Miss Red and his favorite white blood cell would listen to him.

No matter, NC thought to himself. Once Little Miss Red was awake, maybe they'll be looking upon the possibility that they don't have to listen to what the body needs anymore. If only those two weren't so adamantly loyal to their respective duties bestowed upon them by the hematopoietic stem cells.

Any minute now, the red blood cell would awaken, but NC didn't know how to approach this situation. Should he simply introduce himself? What was one to do when they used to be a psychopathic killer on the run from the immune cells of the body? Meanwhile, while he was pondering his options, his twin, Normal Cell (Miss Macrophage addressed his twin as NC-1816), was busy flipping through pages in a random novel that he found abandoned on one of the chairs.

NC kept his head bent down low and studied the wrinkles on his shirt when he heard a commotion ahead. For a moment, he looked up and saw harried macrophages, trying to calm down a cell wearing a stark white uniform. Before NC could process the image further, another matronly macrophage finally held one of the neutrophil's arms while she sweetly—threateningly—guided him to a chair that just so happened to be the seat right next to—

Oh. Talk about coincidences.

As NC's mind raced with the possibilities that lay ahead, he became all too aware of the presence of the immune cell sitting heavily beside him. Although they hadn't seen each other yet, NC could feel the tension and the guilt radiating off the cell in waves. So potent the feeling, NC almost felt bad for his favorite white blood cell. Wasn't his dear AE-3803 fine? The only thing that happened to her was that she fainted at the sight of him.

Actually, a lot happened to his Little Miss Red, what with the kidnapping, the manipulation…

Well, NC could understand why 3803 might have felt a little weak and terrified to see him again, yet…

She was a strong red blood cell! Stronger than most, NC liked to think. While other red blood cells would have cowered and ran away from the start, Little Miss Red accepted him from the beginning of their friendship to the very end when he had sighed out his final breath as she held him on her lap.

To see her so weak…

How could she be so weak?

Perhaps he was overthinking things a bit. Although she had her flaws, she was still like him.

Unique.

Different.

A liability to the body from the perspective of those who held regulations and rules stringent to their cell bodies.

However, NC knew that the features that made her so different to others endeared her to him. Was it wrong of him to assume that 3803 would look past his past Cancer self and well…

He wouldn't say that he would have expected her to take him into her warm arms, but he was definitely not aware that she would faint at the very sight of him.

"Are you the cell that found AE-3803?"

If this were any other time, NC would have smirked and allowed U-1146 to apprehend him right there and then. However, he wasn't Cancer anymore. Rather, he was nothing more than a normal cell who depended on red blood cells and other cells in the body for sustenance and protection…

A slight twinge in his stomach accompanied his thoughts. It was a feeling that he couldn't find the meaning for. However, the more he concentrated on that emotion, he realized that it had something to do with causing his Little Miss Red to be confined in the infirmary. It had something to do with the way his favorite neutrophil was slumped over, his arms resting on his knees while he blankly faced ahead, tension lining his face and hardening his shoulders.

It was a terrible feeling and NC wanted to will it away.

He cleared his throat and finally made a decision.

"Oh, uh…" He made sure to keep his voice light and somewhat hesitant, as if he were meeting this white blood cell for the first time and was surprised that the cell would even deign to talk to him. To distance himself further from his past self, NC made sure to keep his posture slouched over and tiny compared to the way he swaggered and kept himself confident whenever he faced off against U-1146. "Actually, she was the one to make the delivery of oxygen for my roommate and I."

NC laughed a little as he rubbed the back of his neck in what he hoped would sell the idea that he was nothing more than a bashful normal cell.

"Took one look at me and then made a tumble! It's a good thing that I caught her when I did. She doesn't have a nucleus, but I didn't want her too damaged."

It was at that point that 1146 moved his head so that he could take a closer look at him. As 1146's dark black eyes bore into his own, NC noticed that 1146's skin became all the more paler, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. Something dark in the neutrophil's eyes flashed and suddenly, NC realized that 1146 was grabbing him by the front of his shirt and—

"Hey, what are you doing?" Normal Cell, designated as NC's roommate and mentor, stood up from his own chair and leveled 1146 a hard look. "He's done nothing wrong so let him go!"

For a moment, NC looked to his mentor in his shock. When they had first met, NC got the impression that Normal Cell was nothing more than a lazy layabout. That theory was confirmed when he realized that there was a mistake in his genetic sequence (the lime green eyes, which happened to be his only defining, unique characteristic) and when NC had left the apartment for his own walk around the body and came back, Normal Cell hadn't moved from his spot on the floor because he was "busy" playing solitaire. For NC, he didn't have any respect for his mentor.

His past mentors, or creators as he should probably say, hadn't done anything to save him from the might of the immune system.

To see NC-1816 defend him… It made NC feel something far stranger, yet far more preferable to the feeling that he had concerning Little Miss Red and his favorite white blood cell.

Just as suddenly as the warmth filled NC's cell body, it disappeared because 1146 was pulling him farther out of his seat and his gloved hand was already taking out a knife read to slash and tear at his cell body and—

"My eyes!" NC choked out in a half yell.

1146 paused, his movement stilling as he regarded the cell that was once known as Cancer.

"Yes?" 1146 tilted his head to the side. Once again, NC felt the urge to smirk and wonder to himself, why was 1146 so gullible and naive. Giving a cell like him a second—no, a million chances to prove himself as someone trustworthy again, it was laughable. Despite that feeling, another one overshadowed the other… It felt…

It was…

Relief?

Gratefulness?

It was something positive in regards to the way 1146 so readily wanted to listen to what he had to say.

NC was shaken out of his reverie when 1146 asked, "Well? What about them?"

"It's my eyes, right? You think it's a mutation!" At 1146's hesitant nod, NC came up with a lie and then he prayed to whatever god happened to be out there listening that 1146 would believe him and that his roommate would leave him alone. "Well, I was out buying stuff from the store next door and they were having a sale on contacts and I always wanted to try out new things so I thought, 'Hey, maybe I should change my appearance a little bit' because it's kind of weird to live with somebody who already talks and thinks the same as you and I just wanted to feel different so—"

NC's rambling stuttered to a halt when 1146 gently set him down and started chuckling.

"You're very different than…" For a moment, his face darkened again before he shook that look away so that he could smile gently at what he assumed was a rambly normal cell. Perhaps he chalked up the nonsense that NC had spouted because not all cells wanted to be sitting close to an immune cell that could easily turn on them.

Still, NC wanted to push 1146.

For old time's sake.

"Different than?" NC hoped that the smirk that was threatening to curl his lip wasn't too apparent.

"Don't worry about it," the white blood cell murmured as his voice lowered. "I, erm…" There was a faint blush on the neutrophil's face as he regarded NC with a look that he could perceive to be somewhat shy and apologetic.

Guilty.

That was the word that NC was looking for earlier.

"I apologize for my actions." 1146 bowed low in front of NC. "I was worried for my friend and—"

Suddenly, a macrophage, presumably one of the ones directly attending to Little Miss Red stepped out of the room and motioned for 1146.

"She's awake if you want to—"

Just like that, 1146 was out of his chair like a shot. As he passed by, NC noticed that 1146's face was filled with adoration, of loyalty, of lo—

"Stop."

There was a hand on his arm preventing him from getting out of his seat. Without realizing it, NC had just been about ready to follow after the white blood cell. For a moment, as NC tried to struggle against his mentor's hold, he wished for his supernatural strength, for the powerful wings that had sprung from his back. He wanted to be something more, anything but this too normal cell body.

His eyes.

His eyes were the only things that kept him sane.

But.

He didn't struggle against Normal Cell's hand too much.

Something gnawed at him to stay away from Little Miss Red. For now.

"What is it now, NC-1816?"

For once, Normal Cell frowned at his twin. It was the first time NC had referred to his roommate with his full name, but the way he said it with such malice and anger… Something was wrong, but Normal Cell would deal with that later.

Instead, he wanted to ask—

"Your eyes, why did you lie about your eyes?"

NC inwardly cursed.

If only he had been born as Cancer again. It was too damn tough trying to be nothing more than a normal cell.