"Attention: all immune cells are asked to keep a high alert for pathogenic activity. Attention: all immune cells…"
The message played on repeat as U-1146 and gang led the erythrocytes to the liver. U-1146 saw a noticeable increase in immune cells. Squads of neutrophils, macrophages, and Killer T Cells ran through the blood vessels, looking for invaders. U-1146 and crew also kept alert, but their sensors never rang once.
Alcohol's Effects on the Immune System
The amount of immune cells initially rises after drinking alcohol, before the body realizes it is a "false alarm" and brings the number down using immunosuppressants.
Abusing alcohol can result in a low immune cell count, making alcoholics more susceptible to infection. Diseases like pneumonia are both more common and more dangerous for alcoholics.
"I hope -hic!- I hope that we don't… don't see any germs, nope!"
U-1146 felt Red Blood Cell lean harder on him. She hiccupped again and giggled. The neutrophil's first thought was that the alcohol must be affecting her greatly. His second thought was that her hiccups were really cute.
It was very slow going as the tipsy erythrocytes stumbled and walked at a snail's pace. NT, who refused to allow anyone touch her, fell over at least five times, having no one to lean on. Of course, she found herself struggling to get up, since she wouldn't accept anybody's help.
They were still making their way through the intestines as the sprinklers went off once again. The liquid that doused them this time was clear, and smelled sweet. It was a welcome change from the brown, bitter liquid before.
"Awww, iss raininnng!" AE shouted at the ceiling.
U-1146 looked up at the sprinklers. What is going on? he thought.
0-0-0
The debate in the brain took less and less time the more the body drank. According to the visual data, the beer bottle that the body was drinking was nearly finished, and sake was being passed around now by the friends. Some neurons still protested, but they became less and less with each minute that passed.
The upper motor neurons of the brain, however, were beginning to notice some problems. According to reports from the lower motor neurons, the muscles were having difficulty coordinating their movements. These small issues with fine motor control were no big deal at the moment, but if left unchecked there might be bigger problems later. They sent a few emails detailing this development to the interneurons, but so far they hadn't received any replies. They tried not to get too impatient; it was possible that the interneurons were just forwarding the emails to the correct division.
Motor Neurons
The motor neurons connect to the muscles and other organs throughout the body, and trigger movement. There are two types of motor neurons: upper motor neurons run from the brain to the spinal cord, while lower motor neurons run from the spinal cord to the various muscles.
Interneurons
Neurons that process information within the brain and spinal cord itself, instead of sending or receiving signals from outside the nervous system. They send messages between the sensory and motor neurons, as well as between themselves.
The interneurons, meanwhile, were a little too busy to notice the motor neuron's reports. Some of them made note of them, while others ignored them entirely. The majority of neurons dedicated to consciousness were too busy assessing the social situation outside of the body to pay much attention to the various things going on inside the body.
Surely, nothing bad would happen as long as they were careful to avoid overdoing it. Everything in moderation, after all.
0-0-0
U-1146 had seen AE-3803 cry before.
She had cried when she completed a full circulation by herself.
She had cried when her kouhai expressed admiration for her work ethic.
To say that AE was very emotional would not be inaccurate at all.
Still, 1146 was puzzled when she burst into tears at the sight of some lactic acid bacteria.
"Sekkekkyū-san… what's wrong?"
She tried to get herself under control.
"Wahhhhhhh… -sniff- … They're sooooo cuuuuuuute! Ahhhh…" She began bawling again almost as soon as she had finished her sentence. She knelt down, picked up a red lactic acid bacterium, and squeezed it to her chest.
"Nyu! Nyunyunyu! Nyuuuu!" the bacterium squeaked as it was squished in AE's hug.
The red-haired erythrocyte started crying even harder than she already was, a feat that U-1146 didn't realize was possible.
The bacterium also seemed alarmed. It appeared to be hugging the erythrocyte back with its tiny flippers.
"Nyu, nyunyuu," it chirped in a gentle, comforting manner.
"Waaaaaaaaaah! -sniff!- I… I love you too, Nyunyu!" AE sniffled again and managed to hold her composure for a few seconds, until it was too much and the floodgates opened again.
"Waaaaaaaaah!"
Her senpai, AA-5100 immediately let go of the two neutrophils she had linked arms with and approached AE. From behind the inconsolable erythrocyte, AA knelt down and put her arms around AE and the bacterium and wrapped them in a hug.
"Awwwww… don't cry, li'l… li'l Kouhai-chan, 'm juss gon' hug ya so ya feel happy," she said. A group of concerned-looking lactic acid bacteria gathered around them.
"Nyu, nyunyu…"
"Ruru, ru-ru rururu!"
"Nyuuuu, nyunyunyunyu!"
The bacteria appeared to be conversing amongst themselves about the spectacle in front of them. There was a mix of lactic acid bacteria that said "Nyu," who had been with the body for a while, and also were found in snacks like yogurt and cheese that the body consumed in its home land. The others, who said "Ru," had been introduced to the body in yogurt after an infection of salmonella, which was unsuccessfully combated with antibiotics. The antibiotics did not help against the salmonella infection, but it certainly hurt the native population of good bacteria. All of this had happened while the body was on a trip to another land, and it seemed like the differences in language were reflected in the ways the lactic acid bacteria chirped and cooed.
Unfortunately, 1146 had no time to appreciate the cuteness of the moment, as he was trying to calm down AE-3803.
"Ugh, can't ya guys juss… jus get Senpai tah SHUDDUP!" NT shouted, covering her ears. It seemed like alcohol lowered the amount of patience she had for loud noises, like crying. It also seemed like it removed any consideration she had for other's feelings, as well as any filter she may have had on her thoughts.
"Hey, cool it, NT," U-2048 said, looking at her sharply.
NT grumbled and crossed her arms, but besides pouting she didn't make any more protests. All eyes turned to 1146, who crouched down next to the kneeling erythrocytes and gently placed a hand on AE's shoulder.
"Sekkekkyū-san, there's no need to cry," he said, rubbing her shoulder.
She sniffed a few times. "I… I knoooooww… but -hic!- but, they're so… soooo -hic!- adorable!"
"I know, and you can pet them later. We have to get to the liver now."
"We'll come back?" She looked up into his eyes.
"Yes. Right after you detox in the liver, we can come right back here and play with the lactic acid bacteria as much as you want."
"As… -sniff- …'s m'ch as I want?" Her words were slurring together even more.
"As much as you want."
"Promise?"
U-1146 blinked. "I… yes, I promise."
AE sniffled a few times. She swallowed, and it appeared she had finally managed to stop crying. She looked up at 1146 with the purest, most innocent smile.
"Yer a reeeeeeeal good -hic!- friend, Hak… Kakkyu… Hayuk…" Her smile faltered as she tried to pronounce the correct word. "Haaaah… Hakkekkekkyuuuu-san! Heehee!"
"Hahaha, you said his name wrong! It's Hakkakko… Hekkle-yo… Hah… Hakkyun… Hekko-ko… Hekkakkyuu?" AA-5100 cocked her head as she, too had trouble pronouncing the word hakkekkyū.
This caused AE to burst into a giggle fit.
"You… you said… 'Hakkokko!' Tha's funny, hahaha!"
AA grinned at her kouhai. "Hukkyu."
"Hakkenkko."
"Hakk… Hah…"
"Hekkokkyo…"
"Ha… Hanky… Hakky"
U-1146 watched the two go back and forth, laughing and smiling and butchering the word for "white blood cell." Neither of them had even gotten up from the ground.
"Um, Sekkekkyū-san, AA-san, we really should get going. Do you need help getting up?"
AE flung herself headfirst towards U-1146 and grabbed fistfulls of the front of his shirt.
"Oof!"
"Mm, thanks! 'm juss so tired, can… canya pick me up, pleeeeeease?"
"I… beg your pardon?"
"Please pick me up, Hakketsu-san. My… my legs are so wiggly. I think they're… jelly, or something." The rambling erythrocyte suddenly looked into his eyes, as if struck with an epiphany. "Doya think a… a witch turned my legs into jelly?"
U-1146 blinked. Straight-faced, he simply said, "I assure you, there are no witches and your legs are fine. Of course I'll help you if you're too tired."
"Yayyyy!"
U-1146 was still crouching and moved to pick AE-3803 up in his arms. He was caught by surprise when the redhead quickly scampered behind him and hopped onto his back.
"Oof!"
"Wheeeee! Piggyback ride!"
U-1146 resigned himself to his fate and stood up, readjusting AE on his back so she didn't fall, lifting with his legs, not his back. He grunted as he stood up. Had she always been this heavy?
U-1146 had picked her up more than once. He picked her up to rush her to safety during the Malaria invasion, where the two first started to truly realize their feelings for each other. He had helped her climb out of a hole she fell into when she didn't see the platelets' construction warnings. He had even caught her from the air as she fell when a scrape wound opened up underneath her feet.
However, the one thing all these incidents have in common was that he was saving her. He was in "rescuer" mode, where he didn't question his actions, he just got them done. So, he never really noticed how heavy AE really was.
U-1146 remembered that red blood cells were full of hemoglobin, for carrying oxygen. Hemoglobin has an iron core, so it actually made sense that despite her short stature and slim frame, she felt much heavier than she looked. She was full of iron.
I can't believe I caught her with one hand, he thought, remembering how he stopped her from falling out of the body. She had been falling so quickly, she could have ripped his arm off!
AA-5100 stood up unsteadily. "Woah, woah!"
U-2408 and U-2626 both ran up to her side and linked their arms with hers.
"Thanks, boys," she said, grinning.
"C'n we jus' go?" NT whined.
U-1146 picked up AE's nutrient basket, and the group set off for the liver once again. AE snuggled up on 1146's back, happily humming a song to herself. U-1146 had to admit, he felt quite chivalrous carrying her like this. Not only did he feel like a knight in shining armor, but it was just nice to be so near AE. Her breath was soft and warm on his neck. She placed her head beside his own, on top of his shoulder, and her cheek brushed against his with every step he took.
As they walked, he could feel himself tiring. He thought about how AE carried oxygen deliveries all over the body multiple times a day, every day. She never seemed to get tired or sore, even if she may get lost every now and then. Even though erythrocytes could use carts to carry the oxygen, there were many areas of the body where they had to carry them in their arms, such as the capillaries that were too thin for a cart, and the heart, where too many blood cells were crammed together for carts to be allowed. Coupled with their nutrient deliveries, and the high amount of walking they did every circulation, 1146 supposed the red blood cells had great strength and stamina. He wondered, would she be able to pick him up? What would that feel like?
He let his mind wander a bit, imagining AE-3803 scooping him up in her arms. It was a strange image, and he would have to scrunch himself up in order for her to easily lift him, since he was so much taller and bulkier than she was. Still, it was a cute thought. Maybe he should ask her to try once she had detoxed. Would that be weird?
They walked through the winding blood vessels of the intestines. The micrometers turned into millimeters, the millimeters turned into centimeters, but 1146 barely noticed anything aside from the happy, humming AE-3803.
Finally, the group took a turn and found themselves at the entrance to the liver.
The Liver
The largest internal organ in the body, the liver is responsible for filtering harmful substances (such as alcohol) from the blood and breaking them down. It also has functions related to making bile, removing old or damaged red and white blood cells, and making blood clotting proteins.
A neon sign flashed over the entrance to the liver, welcoming the incoming cells with bright red cursive letters.
The group of six walked underneath the glowing sign. Many erythrocytes flowed into the area, all of them a bit tipsy in some manner.
The apartment buildings the hepatocytes lived in lined both sides of the street. At street level, there were multiple establishments that looked like restaurants and casinos, with flashing neon signs advertising the amenities inside. Macrophages in copper-colored dresses stood by the entrances to the bars, serving as bouncers. They all had large weapons with them, and each of them also had a folded-up net in hand.
Kupffer Cells
Kupffer cells are specialized macrophages in the liver. They are responsible for clearing out bacteria, as well as removing old or damaged red blood cells from the bloodstream.
"Hello, dears!" said a Kupffer Cell as the group approached one of the establishments. "If you'll excuse me, I'll just need to do a quick check-up of the erythrocytes."
U-1146 felt the cytoplasm drain from his face. Check up? His grasp on AE-3803's legs tightened a little. He wanted to protect her.
As if reading his thoughts, the Kupffer Cell giggled. "Don't worry, I'm just making sure no one has any injuries that make them unable to work. Being tipsy doesn't count as an injury."
She had 1146 turn around and visually inspected the erythrocyte on his back. Then, she had AA-5100 and a very grumpy NT-4201 step up.
"Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay… Alright! Everyone is good to go! Just leave the nutrient deliveries in the designated area by the door. Enjoy your visit!" the specialized macrophage said cheerfully.
Sighing with relief, U-1146 entered the restaurant with AE on his back. The others followed.
Inside the establishment was a bar, with tall stools lined up next to the counter. Tables dotted the space around the dance floor, which was already quite crowded with dancing erythrocytes. The erythrocytes weren't wearing their uniforms, instead wearing all kinds of different clothes. Various corridors branched off from the main dining room, with signs showing where they led. Changing Rooms, Women's Restroom, Men's Restroom, Neutrophil Equipment Replacement, Karaoke, Clotting Proteins.
Waiters and waitresses swerved in between the tables and cells walking around, trays of enzymes and empty glasses in hand. They were casually dressed, wearing jeans and black t-shirts. The t-shirts all had a purple circle on the front, with the words "Hep-py Hour" written in loopy cursive in white inside the logo. Behind the bar, a woman dressed in a white blouse with a black vest, black slacks, a loose black tie was filling up glasses of enzymes. A black fedora with a small brim sat fashionably askew on top of her head.
Hepatocytes
Hepatocytes are liver cells that use enzymes to remove and break down harmful substances in the blood. They also synthesize and store proteins, produce cholesterol, phospholipids, and bile salts, and secrete bile. Some of the proteins they produce include certain kinds of coagulation factors.
Above the bartender hepatocyte's head was a chalkboard listing all the different types and flavors of enzyme that could be ordered, as well of various flavors of glucose. Behind her was a shelf stacked with bottles of different amino acids, for the hepatocyte to mix in specific amounts into the necessary enzymes.
"Hello, and welcome! How many are you with today, sir?" a cheerful hepatocyte hostess asked U-1146.
"Oh, um, seven. Seven people," he replied.
"Okay! We don't have any booths open right now, but you can have a seat right over there at the bar. Your servers will be with you shortly."
"Oh, okay, thanks…"
U-1146 had never actually been inside such an establishment, so he wasn't exactly sure what to do once he sat down at the bar. He deposited AE on a stool beside his own, keeping a hand on her back so she didn't topple over.
"Hello! I'll be your server tonight. May I ask how many will be needing enzymes?" a cheerful hepatocyte waitress asked, her smile as bright as the lights on the dance floor.
The erythrocytes were already sitting on the barstools, but they didn't respond.
"Those three," 2626 said, indicating the three red blood cells.
"Okay, I see. Oh, my, you're all wet! Come with me, we'll get you changed and we'll get you your enzymes quickly." The hepatocyte beckoned two other waitresses over to help guide the tipsy erythrocytes.
"Mm? Oh, see ya… Hakkankksu-san…" AE said groggily. She waved to 1146 as she was led away, while AA looked back and winked at the neutrophils. NT was silent.
U-1146 watched as the hepatocytes led the red blood cells towards the corridor labelled "Changing Rooms." As they disappeared, he turned his comrades.
"So… what do we do right now?"
"What we do now, dear Hakkoko-san, is we enjoy ourselves," 2046 grinned.
U-1146 eyed him warily. "This is going to be a whole thing, isn't it?"
"I have no idea what you mean, Hakkoko-san," 2626 chimed in.
U-1146 sighed and rubbed his eyes. It was much less cute when they did it.
0-0-0
The hepatocyte waitresses guided the erythrocytes into the changing area.
"Here, we'll take your wet clothes and get all that alcohol out of them," the waitress guiding AE said gently. One of the erythrocytes, the one with long brown hair and a badge on her beret with the number "AA-5100" started pulling up the hem of her t-shirt. The hepatocyte immediately stopped her.
"What are you doing?"
"I thought… I juss thought we're gonna change?" the erythrocyte slurred.
"Not right here. Come over this way."
Earlier, the erythrocytes that came through were able to change out of their wet clothes easier, but as more alcohol was consumed, and the blood cells got more and more drunk, the hepatocytes had to help them in order to avoid falls and other accidents. Each erythrocyte was led to a little space with a chair, a mirror, hooks to hang clothes on, and a curtain for privacy.
The hepatocyte let her coworkers take the brunette erythrocyte and the black-haired erythrocyte, while she went into one of the changing rooms with the redhead and pulled the curtain shut.
The redhead, AE-3803 by her badge, hummed a happy little song to herself as she sat. The hepatocyte couldn't help but smile. AE's cute little grin was quite infectious.
"If you don't mind, I'll help you undress, and bring you some dry clothes to wear while we're cleaning your uniform, okay?"
"M'kay," sighed AE.
The hepatocyte removed AE's beret and jacket. She took out a small plastic card sleeve from her pocket and pinned it to the jacket. Then, she wrote AE's number on an index card and placed it inside the plastic sleeve. This way, they could make sure that AE would get her jacket back.
"Alright, I'm just gonna check to see what size shirt you are…" she flipped the collar of AE's black t-shirt out and looked at the tag. Women's small.
"Okay, I'll be right back." The hepatocyte left, leaving the curtain closed, and went over to retrieve some clothing choices for the erythrocyte. Since the erythrocytes who came by usually liked to have a bit of fun before leaving, the hepatocytes had a nice selection of non-uniform clothes for them to change into for the time being.
Within thirty seconds, she returned with a new pair of denim shorts and a selection of shirts.
"Would you like to choose which of these you want to wear?"
The redhead looked over at the shirts. "Oooh, pretty!" she sighed.
She grabbed at a green shirt, but the hepatocyte frowned.
"Actually, now that I see it with you, I think it clashes with your hair. Here, try this one."
She handed the redheaded erythrocyte a red and white striped t-shirt with a wide neck, made for an "off-the shoulder" look that was sometimes popular among the red blood cells.
"Oooh, pretty!" AE said with a sparkle in her eyes.
"Here is the shirt and the jean shorts. Now, you're kind of unsteady, so I'm just gonna help you, okay?"
"M'kay."
The hepatocyte helped AE take off her t-shirt and shorts. The redhead was only in her underwear for a second as the hepatocyte, who had lots of experience helping drunk erythrocytes to dress, got her swiftly changed. The hepatocyte stepped back and examined AE.
"You look so cute! What do you think?"
"Wow, 'm all stripey… like… like a candy cane…" Her eyes widened as she turned her gaze from the mirror to the hepatocyte. "Didja turn me into a candy cane?"
The hepatocyte giggled. She had encountered many types of drunk cells, but her favorite type of drunks were the ones who became extremely childlike. "No, silly, you're still a red blood cell."
AE licked her arm, trying to taste if she had become a candy cane. She frowned in disappointment.
"Awww, I wanna be a candy cane… candy's yummy, I like yummy in my tummy…"
"Come on, let's get you out to your friends. We should have your clothes cleaned up within an hour."
She pinned AE's number to her discarded shirt, jeans, and gloves, and gave AE a fresh pair of socks to put on. Once AE had put on her socks and sneakers, the hepatocyte took her by the hand, and led her back to the neutrophils she came in with. The other two should be finishing up as well, if they hadn't already.
0-0-0
"No, no way. They're way too small." U-2048 said.
"But they spend all day lifting boxes and carrying things, on foot, around the body," 1146 pointed out.
"But boxes are just boxes. Absolutely no way for a red blood cell to lift a whole white blood cell."
"Yeah, I'm having trouble picturing that too," 2626 chimed in.
"I dunno, I feel like I remember seeing AE nearly fall down a hole that the platelets were still working on. She grabbed onto the edge with her hands, and she caught the cart of oxygen with her legs," 4989 said. "You'd have to be pretty strong in order to do that."
The bartender smirked and shook her head as she cleaned out a glass. These idiots must have really boring lives if they could get so worked up about the limits of erythrocyte strength.
"What do you think, miss? It would be nice to get an outside opinion." 2048 addressed the bartender.
"I think you fellas have some very interesting erythrocyte friends, if they're worth all this arguing about."
U-1146 and U-4989 nodded, seeming to agree with this sentiment. U-2626 made no answer either way, and 2048 just shrugged.
The bartender saw a red curl moving around in her peripheral vision, remembering the red blood cells that the neutrophils came in with.
"Speaking of…"
The neutrophils turned around, and the bartender saw them go speechless for the first time that night.
The redheaded erythrocyte returned wearing a red-and-white striped off-the-shoulder shirt. The brunette erythrocyte had changed into a blue sequined tank top. The black haired one… the black haired one still just had a plain black t-shirt. The bartender shrugged and continued to clean the glass. Not everyone liked to get dressed up.
"Hankokku-san! Loooook!" shouted the redhead. She let go of the hepatocyte guiding her and almost fell onto U-1146.
"Whoa!" He caught her before she fell.
"Hakkenko-san. Look!" she said in a stage whisper, loud enough for the bartender to hear. "I'm a candy cane!"
"A… candy cane." The neutrophil smiled softly.
"Yeah. The waitress did it… I think… I think she's magic!"
The bartender chuckled and looked at her "magical" coworker, who also smiled. The child-like drunks were the bartender's favorite, too.
The brunette and black-haired erythrocytes also sat down at the bar, next to the redhead. Three erythrocytes on one side, four neutrophils on the other.
The bartender put on her "customer service" voice.
"Okay, your enzymes are coming right up!"
She put down the glass she was cleaning and began mixing amino acids into three other glasses. Soon, they were filled with a blue-ish, sparkly liquid.
"Oooh, pretty!" said the redhead. She picked up one of the glasses and sipped it. Her face immediately scrunched up. "Blech! Iss not yummy!"
The brunette also took a sip. "Egh! Whyssis sooo… bitter… blah!"
The black-haired erythrocyte took a much longer sip than the other two. "I want glucose."
All four of the neutrophils looked at each other with worried expressions.
The bartender motioned to the menu. "We have lots of flavors. Strawberry, lemon, green tea, mochi, chocolate…"
"Jus' want glucose!"
"I'm listing the flavors!"
"GLUCOSE!"
The bartender blinked. Oh no, a belligerent one, she realized.
She quickly scooped out some plain, unflavored glucose for the grumpy red blood cell. Handing it over, she decided to suggest something.
"Why don't you all try out a karaoke room? It'll be a lot of fun, and you can distract yourselves from the bitter taste. Plus, all-you-can-eat glucose!"
The redhead and brunette both brightened up and looked at each other. Then, the redhead turned around to face U-1146, who was sitting to her left.
"Hakki-kyu-san! That sounds -hic!- so fuuun! Let's-ah… let's go!"
She stood up and started tugging on the neutrophil's arm, leaving her enzymes on the table.
"C'mon c'mon c'monnnn!" she squealed.
"Woah, Sekkekkyū-san, we don't have to-"
"But it sounds so funnnn! C'mon, les'go!"
The neutrophil got up from his seat and began following the excited erythrocyte, but he looked back at his colleagues with a face that said "Help me."
The brunette red blood cell slid over into the neutrophil's now empty seat, next to U-2626. "I'd like to sing a li'l, too," she said.
If the bartender wasn't mistaken- and she was never mistaken- the brunette sounded a bit flirtatious.
"That does sound like a lot of fun," said U-4989.
"Sure, why not?" said U-2626. "Yo, 1146! Wait up!"
The redhead and 1146 hadn't gotten very far, but they paused as the rest of the group got up to join them.
"Ugggh! Guys, are you juss leavin' me? I don't even wanna sing. Ugh, dammit."
Despite her verbal protests, and the fact that no one had even asked her to join, the black haired erythrocyte also got up to join the group. She took her glass of enzymes with her.
"Yo. Yo! Guys!" the bartender shouted to the group. "Remember to take the enzymes!"
U-1146 and 4989 returned to take AE and AA's glasses with them. U-1146 was frowning and looking at the ground.
"Why the long face?" asked the bartender.
"Oh, I uh… I just don't like… singing… when others are watching…"
"Hankooyu-san!" called the redhead.
"You'll be fine. Happy singing, eyepatch-bangs."
U-4989 tried to stifle his laughter, while 1146 looked confused. "Eyepatch… bangs?"
The fluffy-haired neutrophil took U-1146 by the arm and led him back towards the group. "Come on, Hakkoko-san, we have some singing to do."
1146 closed his eyes.
"I don't have time for all of these nicknames."
Author's Note:
I had so much fun writing the drunk red blood cells. I thought about what personalities they would have when drunk, and how they would interact with the other characters. This entire story is actually inspired by a chapter from Devin Trinidad's story, Red Blood Cell: Sighted! I highly recommend that you check it out, it's a very cute fic!
I wrote about the lactic acid bacteria before in my story 沙门菌不好: Salmonella Isn't Good, where the body travels to China and eats some undercooked meat. The salmonella bacteria it is infected with are not affected by antibiotics, but the lactic acid bacteria are. After healing, the body eats some yogurt while still in China to replenish its good bacteria. I made the new bacteria say "Ru" because the Chinese word for lactic acid bacteria, "乳酸菌," is pronounced "rǔsuānjūn." The original bacteria say "Nyu" because the Japanese word for lactic acid bacteria, which is also written as "乳酸菌" in Kanji, is pronounced "Nyūsankin." The lactic acid bacteria in Volume 5 of the manga say "Nyu," so I thought it would be appropriate that Chinese lactic acid bacteria would say "Ru." This was just a fun callback to my previous story, and if you want to read it as well I would greatly appreciate it! (Though it is not necessary to read that one to understand this one).
I hope you enjoy! :)