Short-Short Story: "Reading Surgery" - Weekly Short-Short Note, August 24th Prompt

"I am a hero who will save the world!"
"Oh, I see. That's amazing. Alright, I'm going to administer the anesthesia now."
I restrained the thrashing patient with straps, forced a respirator on them, and administered the anesthesia.
I opened their chest with a scalpel, found a book-shaped tumor next to their beating heart, and carefully cut it out.

In recent years, a condition called 'Reading Disease' has suddenly spread across the world.
It is a strange illness where some people who read books become unable to escape from that worldview, causing problems in their daily lives.
Personally, I think it's something that only foolish people who cannot face reality catch.
Patients develop a book-shaped tumor near their heart.
It was discovered that this could be treated by surgically removing the tumor.
As a doctor, I established this procedure, which I named 'Reading Surgery,' and spread the treatment method to the world.
Just this week alone, I have treated over several dozen patients.
Patients are flooding the hospital after hearing rumors about me.
The media has even started praising me as a 'God Hand'.
I haven't been able to go home for a while, but this is the fate of a doctor.
To save my patients, I will perform surgery again today.

"That is why I cannot be sleeping in a place like this. Let me go."
"Oh, I see. That kind of novel is popular, isn't it? Alright, I'm going to administer the anesthesia now."

My consciousness faded away there.





I participated in this project here.