Not in sound, but in mood. For Edan, everything carried a kind of echo — footsteps, voices, even the elevator chimes seemed to arrive a second too late. Grief lingered like hospital bleach. Not gone. Just background now.
He didn’t talk about the family meeting.
He didn’t have to.
Dr. Harper said nothing about it when they met that morning — just handed Edan a tablet with a list of patients and said, “You’re assigned to Pediatrics today. Go see the new consult in 412D.”
“Pediatrics?” Edan blinked. “I thought that was a separate track.”
“It is,” Harper replied. “But the attending asked for someone with clinical instincts. I figured you’d benefit from a shift in perspective.”
That alone set off an internal alert.
[Branch Opportunity – Pediatric Focus]
You are now eligible to unlock the Pediatric Focus branch.
Cost: 1 Skill Point
Benefits:
– Enhanced perception of pediatric symptom patterns
– New synergy potential with Internal Medicine
– Mission chain (3 stages) unlocked
Unlock now?
Edan didn’t hesitate.
Skill Point Consumed – Pediatric Focus Unlocked
New Passive Skill: Pediatric Sensitivity I – Subtle cues in nonverbal or misreported symptoms are highlighted.
Mission Chain Activated: The Unquiet Case (Stage 1 of 3)
Patient: Emily Park – Age 6
Presenting Complaint: Intermittent fever, fatigue, decreased appetite.
Objective: Identify the true source of illness before misdiagnosis occurs.
Reward: +50 EXP (per stage), Unlock Synergy Node
Notice:
System Sync: 42%
Once sync surpasses 45%, further increases will only occur through milestone achievements.
Edan paused for a moment at that last line.
No more easy upgrades. No more steady gains for routine success. From here on out, it’s breakthroughs or nothing.
He pocketed the tablet and headed for Pediatrics.
Pediatrics Ward – Room 412D
Stolen novel; please report.
Edan knocked gently, then stepped inside.
Emily Park looked too small for the hospital bed. Six years old, but barely larger than a toddler. Her brown hair was matted to one side, and her eyes were dull — not with fear, but with exhaustion.
Beside her sat her mother, clutching a stuffed sheep in both hands. She looked up as Edan entered, worry and sleeplessness drawn deep into her expression.
“I’m Edan,” he said gently. “I’m part of the medical team. Is it alright if I ask you both some questions?”
Mrs. Park nodded. “Of course.”
“She’s been sick for over a week,” she said. “At first it was just a fever. Then she started getting tired all the time. She doesn’t want to eat. And now…” Her voice cracked. “Now she just lays there.”
Edan stepped closer, checking the girl’s chart and vitals.
Temp: 100.9°F
HR: 110
BP: 92/54
SpO?: 98%
HP: 68% – Status: At Risk (Chronic Trajectory)
Pediatric Sensitivity Activated
Patient behavior inconsistent with reported severity. Subclinical indicators suggest deeper systemic origin.
He crouched down by the bed.
“Hey Emily,” he said softly, “I like your sheep. What’s its name?”
Emily didn’t answer. She turned her face slightly to the side — not away from him, but into the pillow, as if the energy to speak simply wasn’t there.
“Do you feel any pain?” he asked.
She shook her head slightly, but her hand drifted to her side — almost unconsciously — resting over her right flank.
That wasn’t reported, Edan noted mentally.
He began a physical exam, hands gentle, voice calm. Abdomen soft, non-distended. Slight tenderness over the lower right quadrant. No rebound. No guarding.
Lungs: Clear.
Heart: Tachycardic, but regular.
Skin: Pale. Slight petechiae under her arms.
Wait.
Edan leaned closer, pulling the sleeve up further.
There — tiny pinpoint red spots. Not many, but enough.
Pattern Recognition Triggered
– Petechiae present in atypical distribution
– No reported trauma or history of bleeding disorder
– Possibility: Platelet dysfunction, vascular inflammation, or early hematologic disorder
Edan stood, heart tightening.
“Emily,” he said gently, “did you fall or bump into anything lately?”
She shook her head again. Her mother looked confused. “She hasn’t even left her room in days.”
Edan nodded, stepping back to review the chart again.
No cough. No diarrhea. No vomiting. No rashes reported. No recent travel. No new medications.
Labs from last night were limited — CBC showed mild leukopenia and slightly low platelets. No ESR or CRP ordered. No imaging.
Too light. Too clean. Too fast.
[Mission Update: Stage 1 – Progressing]
Warning: Patient is at risk of misdiagnosis as viral syndrome.
Suggest next step:
– Order additional labs: ESR, CRP, peripheral smear
– Rule out early leukemia, vasculitis, or systemic autoimmune etiology
Bonus Objective: Prevent unnecessary discharge or observation-only status.
Edan stepped out and found the Pediatric attending, Dr. Sarah Kravitz, outside the nurse’s station.
She was mid-40s, sharp but kind-eyed, with sleeves pushed up and a pencil behind one ear. She was flipping through the next patient’s file, but looked up as Edan approached.
“I read the consult,” she said. “Low fever, some fatigue. Possibly post-viral.”
“I just saw her,” Edan replied. “There’s petechiae on the inner arms. She’s showing flank discomfort, and her labs show pancytopenia trends. I think this could be more than a post-viral syndrome.”
Kravitz set the clipboard down. “You think she’s brewing something systemic?”
“I don’t have a full picture yet. But I’d like to order a peripheral smear, ESR, CRP — maybe an abdominal ultrasound. Just to rule out early hematologic causes.”
Kravitz studied him for a moment — not with skepticism, but with curiosity.
“You’re the one Harper loaned us, aren’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She smiled, a little sadly. “He only loans out people he thinks won’t embarrass him.”
Then, she nodded.
“Order them. But keep me updated. If those come back normal, we need to consider safe discharge.”
[Clinical Confidence Check – Success]
Team Response: Request Approved
“Okay. One round of labs. But if they’re clean, she’s going home.”
Edan exhaled. “Thank you.”
As he walked away, his pulse remained elevated.
He didn’t know what he’d find.
But something about the quiet way Emily lay there — how she didn’t whine, didn’t fuss — told him this wasn’t just a lingering virus.
This was something deeper.
And they were running out of time to name it.