Gift —Embryologist: Connecting Lives— Episode 2: The Monochrome Princess and Oblivion (April 15, 2025, Part 1) #CreativeAward2025
A year has passed since Shiori Mamiya's in vitro fertilization. Spring has come again. In the hospital garden, the white magnolias are blooming with soft, white flowers that look like sugar confections.
There are about twenty minutes left until the 8:30 start time. Mine took a pastel yellow envelope from her desk drawer, carefully pulled out a photograph, and placed it in her palm. It showed Shiori Mamiya smiling gently, with a baby girl clutching Shiori's index finger with her tiny hand. Mine couldn't help but touch the soft-looking cheek in the photo with her finger and smile. The first patient Mine had been in charge of had safely given birth to a healthy baby three months ago.
“Oh, how cute.”
Yusuke Kobayashi, at the desk next to hers, leaned over to peek at the photo. Kobayashi's short black hair was always fluffy and freshly washed, giving him a clean look. He is a twenty-four-year-old embryologist in his second year. Although Mine is eight years older than him, there is only a two-year difference in their experience as embryologists.
“Isn't she cute? It's a letter that arrived for me yesterday.”
“This person is your first patient you were in charge of, right, Ms. Mobukuro?”
“Yeah. Shiori Mamiya. She gave birth safely this January.”
Mine found herself speaking with a proud tone. She felt just like an aunt.
“They named her Nanami. Apparently, they took one character from my name. The ‘mi’ (sea) from ‘Mine’.”
Kobayashi widened his eyes in surprise and said, “Wow.” Seeing his expression, Mine realized it once again. How happy it made her that a part of her own name would walk forward as a new life.
“I really love babies. They’re so small, warm, and fluffy. Being able to see the babies of the patients I’m in charge of is the height of happiness, isn't it?”
Kobayashi’s expression, with his eyebrows drooping softly, was also that of an uncle. Apparently, when Kobayashi was deciding on his career path, he was torn between becoming an embryologist or a nursery teacher, and chose the path of an embryologist. He said he was dexterous and liked detailed work, and since an embryologist is, in a sense, a nursery teacher for baby eggs, the origin was the same. Indeed, there is no malice in Kobayashi. It is easy to imagine young children immediately dropping their guard and swarming him, saying, “Play with me, play with me.”
“I performed insemination for the first time last week, but the night before the fertilization check, I couldn't sleep at all.”
“I get it. I was the same. But the fertilization check isn't the goal.”
“I suppose you can't really relax until the confirmation of the gestational sac and heartbeat, right?”
“No, you can't be at ease until they are born.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Being born safely is a miracle. It’s an incredible miracle that you can't reach without overcoming many walls.”
Mine’s chest ached slightly.
The strength of the Reproductive Center at Hokuto University Hospital is that the doctor in charge of fertility treatment can handle the care all the way through to childbirth. The attending physician watches over the mother and child from fertilization to birth, overcoming the barriers together.
“Ms. Mobukuro, that’s a great thing to say!”
When Mine turned around, following Kobayashi, midwife Satomi Ando was standing there with her hands on her hips. Ando has worked in the obstetrics and gynecology department at Hokuto University Hospital for thirty years; she is the most well-informed person in the department, and even the professors hold her in high regard. A midwife qualification is only obtained after a person with a nursing license passes the national midwife examination. Ando’s gray short hair was perfectly styled today without a single bedhead hair, and her thick, well-groomed eyebrows spoke of her strength of will.
“Knowing that you embryologists are doing your work while thinking about what happens after pregnancy is established really boosts our morale, too.”
The pillar of the obstetrics and gynecology department laughed heartily, in a voice that seemed like it would blow Mine and Kobayashi away.
“By the way, you two. Did you see Dr. Kawase this morning? I’ve been looking for her for a while.”
Ando looked around while still standing with her hands on her hips.
“Huh? Ms. Mobukuro, aren't you doing an egg retrieval with Dr. Kawase today?”
“Yes. We have an egg retrieval for Dr. Kawase’s patient first thing in the morning.”
“Then she must be in the egg retrieval room! Is it okay to page the doctor’s PHS now?”
“I think it should be fine.”
Before Umine could finish speaking, Ando waved her hand, said "Thanks!", and strode out of the office.
"It seems the number of patients transferring here specifically for Dr. Kawase has been increasing lately. Ando-san might be dealing with that."
Kobayashi whispered.
"Well, as long as we don't exceed the capacity of the laboratory, it's a good thing. It means more happy families."
To couples who desire each other, a desired life descends. The sprouted life spreads its branches and leaves vigorously under the parents who wished for it. Umine believed this without a doubt.
Looking at the clock, it was ten minutes before the start of the workday. Umine and Kobayashi nodded to each other and headed toward the laboratory.
They opened the office door and walked with Kobayashi down the hallway toward the laboratory. Behind them, the sound of a ringing telephone could be heard.
"A call... Should I go back to the office?"
"A nurse just went in. Maybe it's Sugimori-san? Won't she answer the phone?"
"You're right. If I go back to handle it, I'll be cutting it close on time, so I'll leave it to her this time."
Umine hurried to catch up with Kobayashi, who was walking three steps ahead.
"Yes, this is the Hokuto University Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology Reproductive Center."
Behind her, the voice of a young nurse could be heard.
"Good. She answered the phone."
Umine brought to mind the procedures for today's egg retrieval, gradually forgetting the sound of the ringtone.
*
She put on a white non-woven mask and a disposable surgical cap. She lathered up soap and carefully washed her arms up to the elbows. The rushing sound of the running water helped her immerse herself in her work.
Embryologists wearing matching dark navy scrubs with "Hokuto Univ." embroidered on the chest pocket gathered in the laboratory. There are fifteen embryologists working at the Hokuto University Hospital Reproductive Center. The scale of the laboratory can be considered relatively large. Kengo Matsui, the laboratory manager who oversees the meetings, is calm but his words and actions are completely flawless. This is because in the laboratory, no mistakes—such as misidentifying specimens or overlooking details—that is to say, absolutely no human error, is permitted. "Create a system where human error does not occur throughout the entire laboratory and implement it thoroughly" is Matsui's catchphrase. Hearing Matsui's voice, Umine straightened her posture.
Her eyes were drawn to the person standing next to Matsui. Beneath clearly defined double eyelids, her eyes, framed by long lashes, were so black that the position of the pupils was indistinguishable. Her smooth, short black hair, hidden inside her cap, was parted in the middle of her forehead. Her fair skin was transparent and healthy, enough to make one envious.
Her name is Mei Kawase. Mei, who joined the Hokuto University Reproductive Center a year before Umine, had already accumulated nine years of career experience as an embryologist at a fertility clinic by the time she joined. Mei's technique is called the "Hand of God" and is highly regarded in the industry. It is said that many embryologists visited the clinic where Mei previously worked to learn her techniques.
The meeting ended with Matsui's greeting, "Let's do our best again today." An embryologist's morning begins with environmental management. To welcome and nurture sperm and eggs under optimal conditions every day, they first thoroughly check and manage the laboratory environment. They meticulously record values such as the temperature and humidity of the laboratory, the operation and gas concentration of the incubators that raise the eggs and embryos, and the remaining amount of liquid nitrogen used for cryopreservation, ensuring there are absolutely no abnormalities.
"Good morning."
As the environmental monitoring was nearing its end, a resonant voice echoed through the laboratory, and I instinctively looked back. Hajime Kawase, an obstetrician and gynecologist wearing dark blue scrubs, had appeared in the lab. The embryologists bowed one after another to greet him. Kawase is known as the ace of the Hokuto University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, an exceptionally brilliant doctor at just forty years old. He must be about 180 centimeters tall.
Like clicking a camera shutter, Mio blinked once. The slightly wavy hair tucked under his cap. The well-defined double eyelids and dark brown eyes.
She blinked again, sinking the captured image deep into the ocean of her heart. Making sure no one noticed, she exhaled under her mask and bowed her head.
“Dr. Kawase, I look forward to working with you today.”
When she raised her face, she met Kawase’s eyes. She counted one second slowly, pretended to be calm, averted her gaze, and looked at Mei.
“Mei-san. I look forward to your supervision of the procedure.”
Mei nodded quietly, saying “Yes,” and stared at Mio with her black eyes. The reason everyone calls Mei “Mei-san” is because she is Mei “Kawase.” Because she is Hajime Kawase’s wife.
Mei does not wear a wedding ring while working. Embryologists wash their hands thoroughly every time they enter or leave the laboratory. The number of times they wash their hands exceeds ten times a day. Other embryologists rumored that she takes it off beforehand so she doesn’t drop the ring while washing her hands and arms.
“Motai-san, once the environmental monitoring is finished, please go and greet the patient.”
Kawase’s voice is a tenor, slightly high for a man, and it always sounds cheerful and bouncy. Hearing Kawase’s voice makes Mio realize the emotions she is harboring, whether she likes it or not.
Acting as if nothing were wrong, she nodded, saying “Understood,” and offered a slightly artificial smile. She finished the environmental monitoring with steady hands and headed to the anteroom of the egg retrieval room. She shook her head in front of the door to clear away distracting thoughts. Confirming that she had muted her personal feelings, she took a breath.
She knocked on the anteroom door three times, and when she opened it, the figure of a woman sitting on the bed and staring at the white wall came into view.
“Good morning.”
When Mio spoke, the woman slowly peeled her gaze away from the wall and turned toward Mio. The eyes under her double eyelids were a greenish-brown. She was not wearing makeup. In the egg retrieval room, which is treated as a clean room, cosmetics are a cause of contamination. Therefore, patients are instructed not to wear makeup. Of course, Mio and the other embryologists also perform their duties without any makeup, hair styling, or nail polish. Moe’s lips and cheeks were rosy, and her eyebrows were softly and evenly grown. Mio was momentarily captivated by the structure of Moe’s face.
“For identity verification, please state your name and date of birth.”
“Moe Kashiki. Born September 23, 1993.”
Her voice was slightly raspy and dry. It was as if words devoid of emotion were falling apart into mere letters, floating in the air and drifting through the space. Moe is currently thirty-two years old, which means she is the same age as Mio.
“Thank you. You are Kashiki-san, correct? I am Motai, the embryologist who will be assisting Dr. Kawase with the egg retrieval today.”
As Mio bowed and looked back up, Moe stared at her for a while. Moe’s hair, which is a little longer than her chin, is tied back in a half-up style. Her hair is a natural brown. It is likely her original hair color. The limbs extending from her pink examination gown are very thin and delicate.
“The color has disappeared.”
Not understanding the meaning of the words Moe had suddenly uttered, Mio tilted her head.
"Color, you say?"
"Yes."
Kanon instinctively glanced at the patient information in her hand. Moe's occupation was listed as "Art Class Instructor."
"I used to love the color red. But about five years after I started fertility treatment, I couldn't use red or blue anymore. Now, it's only white and black."
She looked down at the medical chart again. Seven years had passed since Moe began fertility treatment. In her mid-twenties, Moe had visited a gynecologist due to irregular periods and was diagnosed with hyperprolactinemia, a type of ovulation disorder. Her body was secreting an excess of a hormone called prolactin, which made ovulation and the implantation of fertilized eggs difficult.
"I couldn't get pregnant for the longest time. I was divorced twice because they told me if I couldn't bear children, I was useless. My current husband is my third."
No emotion could be read from Moe's glass-bead-like eyes. Kanon felt a sense of unease, wondering if she was alright. Moe's past was harrowing. Because of that, was Moe's mental state actually quite unstable right now? If the grueling fertility treatment ended and a pregnancy was established, would Moe be able to endure the childbirth and child-rearing that awaited her?
"This white wall. I wish I could paint a picture of red flowers to my heart's content on a canvas this large."
Moe stared at the white wall again with the gaze of a young girl. Kanon was completely shaken, her eyes darting around with nowhere to focus. She had never had a patient like this before. If Moe became a mother, would the baby she carried be happy? Life is irreversible. There is absolutely no turning back once you start.
Kanon put her hands behind her back and pinched the back of her left hand with her right. She had to pull herself together.
"Dr. Kawase is a renowned fertility specialist with high-level skills. He uses anesthesia, so he should be able to perform the egg retrieval with as little pain as possible. As an embryologist, I will protect the eggs I receive from you, Ms. Kashiki. So please, rest assured."
As Kanon bowed her head, Moe stood up quietly. The sound of her slippers tapping against the floor echoed.
"Thank you for your help."
Moe whispered, then bowed deeply like a ballerina responding to an encore.
>> Episode 3 〖The Monochrome Princess and Oblivion: April 15, 2025, Part 2〗