The wabi-sabi interior of the hospital room felt suffocating, even more so than the oppressive smell of disinfectant and antiseptic. Rei, our patient, lay still in the bed, her chest rising and falling rhythmically with the help of the CPAP machine helping her breathe. It was a sight that should have filled me with a sense of satisfaction, a testament to my surgical skill. Instead, it felt like a cruel joke from the abominable spirits. The college-aged girl layed down, face-up, sleeping, in a hospital bed, with a cast on her head and red, small scars on her face. She had nutrient IVF needles in her arm, as her intestines slowly began to heal from that major Rosalia crisis her guts had. Both her small intestines and colon were attacked by Rosalia parasitic cysts, but thankfully none of her intestines were amputated, as we purified them of each and every cyst, worm, and tumor we found with our various instruments.

'She's stable for now, and she should be discharged in a few days, but...' Sakura, the young nurse said. She had a poignant mannerism of speaking, almost a hushed whisper, that seemed to carry the weight of the world.

'But what?' I pressed, the urgency in my voice betraying my frustration. We anticipated that Rei would be discharged from our hospital in perfect condition - we treated and removed so many Rosalia worm ulcers, cysts and tapeworms from her gut. Now, with this new revelation, we knew Rei's battle to live was just beginning. Not easy in a country with a national shortage of qualified doctors and therapists, or lack of caregivers for people like her outside families.

"Rei had a grand Mal seizure from a parasitic infection," Saira replied. "These are the MRI images our team scanned of Rei's brain. Have a look..."

Sakura presented the MRI images on the monitor, alongside physical images that were printed out for archival. The vivid colors on the screen showed the network of Rei's brain, but instead of the healthy, vibrant pathways I was used to seeing, there were dark, writhing masses. "Holy shit," I said, "Some sections of Rei's brain look like Swiss cheese, but with tinier holes. Baby Swiss cheese..."

'Rosalia worms caused Rei's rage and grand mal seizure' Sakura explained, her voice barely a murmur. 'They were in cyst form, dormant, but they seem to have hatched after the surgery. These tiny monsters devoured patches of her neuronal network..."

My stomach twisted. Rosalia worms. A once-rare, almost mythical parasite with a predilection for the human brain, organs, and flesh in general.

'What is Rei's prognosis after discharge from the hospital?" Emu asked. "This poor girl went through hell and back... Jeez..."

'We are administering the deworming medication into her veins,' Sakura said, pointing to the IV line in Rei's left arm, 'but the damage is already done inside of her brain and on her skin. Rei can't speak or walk anymore since the epileptic fit. She cannot chew either, but she can still swallow pureed food and thick beverages. It is unknown if she can still hear or see, but specialists will test her abilities later on. She's an adult dependent now."

"My god," I said, my heart sinking. "I'm hopeful Rei might get some of her speech and walking abilities back. But it's not gonna happen overnight. Rosalia's a bitch..."

"Rei will be placed in a wheelchair soon," Sakura replied, "and she will be placed into a group home for patients severely injured by Rosalia-induced seizures and nervous system damage. These homes have spiked in popularity worldwide, with Chiba Prefecture having three new "Rosalia homes" already open in the past six months."

The silence in the room felt heavy, filled with the unspoken weight of what we were witnessing. Rei's life, once full of promise and vitality, now hung precariously in the balance, a delicate thread woven with hope and despair.

Emu, unable to bear the silence, looked at Sakura. 'Can we do anything else? Any experimental treatments?'

Sakura looked down. "Rei's boyfriend discussed giving Rei a fecal microbiota transplant, given her severe gastrointestinal problems. Rei recently had a stool sample, and it's being studied by microbiologists in the nearby lab. Rei's on a waitlist to receive a fecal microbiota transplant from a healthy subject, which should occur within the next six months."

"And the rehabilitation facility might have the right people that Rei needs," I replied. "We could help give Rei a speech device so she can communicate. That facilities hiring a lot of fluent Japanese-speaking foreign therapists and volunteers from other countries, resolving workplace shortages."

"If Rei can regain a little walking and speech," Emu spoke, "It'd be better than nothing. She should be exposed to creativity-based therapies and hobbies as well. Her severe motor dysfunction can be treated, she'll begin new activities, and she'll start a new chapter in life!"

"Rodger," Sakura smiled, bowing. "I'll be sure to pass on these suggestions. Rei's improvement is worth it!"

I looked at Rei, her face serene and peaceful despite the onslaught of her illness. She breathed calmly, asleep in the hospital bed, despite all the needles in her arms. She had an adorable minky blanket keeping her warm under the covers. Her boyfriend and relatives gave her various "Get well soon" cards and Origami cranes in all kinds of colors and designs. She wasn't hungry, as she consumed a strawberry-flavored protein beverage recently.

"Damn those Rosalia worms..." I mumbled under my breath.

Rei is so childlike and charming, I thought. Seeing her in such hellish condition makes my heart sink and me want to cry tears of anger... this could've been my daughter if I were a father. This girl's NOT going back to her college life or her accounting job. Her boyfriend shouldn't be forced to guard her without outside help either.

[model: toolbaz_v3] heavily edited by me after AI wrote it.