Will you light me up, jump-start my heart?
I need someone before the sun goes down
Who's gonna save me now?
Some kind of hero
I can't breathe
Hopin' you're here to rescue me
Before the sun goes down

The hotel lobby was already overfilled when we arrived. Like every evening, Kuina picked me up from my room before we made our way downstairs. The excited cheering and roaring of the crowd could be heard from a long way off.

This strange adoration for the guy in the bathrobe was still a mystery to me. Every time, I got the feeling that I had fallen into the midst of a fanatical cult, and although I wanted nothing to do with it, I had no choice but to follow their rules. At least I still had a few days until the next game.

To be honest, I was already dreading it and I was pushing any thoughts of it aside for the moment: another reason why I was grateful to have gotten the job with Ann. It was not only a welcome distraction from the gloomy thoughts, but also from him.

Chishiya.

When I saw his light-colored jacket shimmering towards me at the other end of the hall, the deafening shouts all around seemed to abruptly cease. Instead, a relentless pounding began, rearing up almost painfully in my chest.

My insides contracted violently as his gaze drifted in our direction, inwardly hoping that it would linger on me. But his attention had long since returned to the gallery, where Hatter was indulging in his daily dose of appreciation. I, on the other hand, couldn't stop staring at him - Chishiya was like a magnet for me that I couldn't escape. Even his posture - leaning casually against the pillar, as aloof as a statue behind glass - exerted an indefinable attraction on me.

An almost wistful sigh escaped my lips before I forced my eyes to focus on the pedestal. I caught Kuina's gaze, which was fixed on me. Her suspicious expression seemed almost petrified.

Damn, she had caught me staring.

A furtive grin flitted across my face, while my cheeks burned with shame. Kuina wasn't smiling. She didn't have to say what she thought of my obsessive stares. Nevertheless, I wondered what the reason behind her skepticism towards Chishiya might be.

My attention turned back to Hatter, who now paused meaningfully while his gaze wandered over the crowd, which had also fallen silent. He cleared his throat briefly before continuing his speech:

"My final words tonight are for the person who has fallen out of favor with the Beach. He or she has had a golden opportunity to turn themselves in without further consequences, but so far this generous offer has not been taken up. This is my very last appeal. If no one has contacted Ann by midnight, there will be no more pardons for them."

Hatter's expression had now become a touch more serious as he looked down meaningfully at his followers. Without being able to prevent it, my gaze went back to Chishiya. But the spot where he had just been standing was now empty. My eyes scanned the surroundings searchingly, but the white jacket was nowhere in sight.

Had he secretly made off?

To be honest, I had hoped that Chishiya would finally come to his senses and take advantage of this unique opportunity. But maybe he was convinced that Hatter would never find out the truth anyway.

"I wonder who it could be. The one who saved you and brought you to the Beach. Aren't you curious too?" I heard Kuina ask next to me as the hall gradually emptied.

I swallowed and then quickly tried to put on a credible face.

"Mhmm, yes, I was also hoping someone would get in touch, then I could at least have said thank you."

It felt wrong to lie to Kuina, but I didn't know what else to do at that moment. Although she and Chishiya obviously knew each other well, she seemed to have no idea that he was the one who saved my life and brought me here. He didn't even seem to trust Kuina enough to reveal the truth to her. He probably thought it was too risky.

Meanwhile, long queues had formed at the tables in the lobby with people who had to go out to play again today.

"When do you actually have to play again?" I asked Kuina.

"In two days."

"I see, I have to go to the infirmary now. I promised Ann I'd be there after the meeting. Then we'll have some time before the injured arrive," I said, kneading my fingers almost unconsciously.

"You must be nervous," Kuina remarked with a cursory glance at my hands.

"A little," I mumbled sheepishly. Her skeptically raised eyebrows made me groan and I slumped a little. "Okay, I'm about to die from fear."

Kuina's lips quirked into an amused grin. Then her hand rested on my shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. You'll be fine. And besides, Ann is here. I'm sure she won't ask you to amputate a leg on the first day."

I smiled painfully. The thought alone made me shudder and doubt whether I had made the right decision. Perhaps I had been a little overconfident when I had so readily offered to help. That was what I got for my overzealousness. But now there was no turning back.

I could almost feel my heart pounding in my throat as I stood indecisively in front of Ann's office door. Before the meeting, I had been relatively relaxed, but now I was a frazzled nerve bundle. Taking a deep breath, I gathered all my courage and knocked resolutely on the door.

"Come in," Ann's voice came to me on the other side.

A little hesitantly, I pushed the door open and stepped over the threshold. Ann was sitting at her desk and lifted her eyes from a few books to give me a friendly nod.

"Why don't you go into the treatment room next door? I'll be right with you," she said curtly.

I nodded curtly and followed her instructions. Although it wasn't my first time in the infirmary, this time I took the time to take a closer look at the rooms. There were two examination tables in the treatment room, discreetly separated by a drab fabric curtain.

On the wall next to me was a simple disinfectant dispenser and a white ceramic washbasin with a mirror above it. At the back of the room were a few nondescript cupboards that offered plenty of storage space. The anatomy posters on the walls, on the other hand, took me back to my school biology lessons.

The overall impression of the room was that of a classic school infirmary. On the opposite side of the room was the adjoining room, which I already knew from my short stay. It contained two hospital beds and various devices for monitoring vital functions and administering infusions.

As I looked at the medical equipment, memories of my previous stays in hospitals came flooding back. The hospital beds, the soft humming sounds of the equipment and the clinical smell conveyed an atmosphere that was both familiar and unsettling.

The muffled sound of a door closing and the footsteps that followed gave me pause. I turned around and saw that Ann had entered the room.

"So you haven't changed your mind?" she assured me, giving me one of her X-ray looks.

I shook my head quickly.

"No, I'd like to do something to help," I assured her with a determined expression.

She nodded contentedly and then began to guide me through the various areas of the infirmary. Ann explained the functions of the equipment and showed me where the most important medicines and bandages were stored. Meanwhile, I tried to take everything in and get my initial tension under control.

As Ann explained the tasks and responsibilities to me in her calm and competent manner, my nervousness gradually dissipated and I became a little calmer. She emphasized that I shouldn't be afraid to ask questions and that she was always there for support.

After we had finished our tour, she headed back to her office. I followed her with curious steps.

"To begin with, you'll only be assisting me," she continued, walking over to her desk, "Before the injured players arrive here, it would be good if you familiarized yourself with the terminology, especially for the medical instruments and medications that are most commonly used here. I put together a list of the most important tools earlier," she handed me a thin stack of paper with printed pages, "I want you to internalize as much of it as possible. The first players will be arriving here in less than two hours. You can stay here in my office until then. I will prepare everything during this time. When you're ready, we'll go through everything again together."

"Understood," I replied with an energetic nod, ready to take on any task she gave me.

After Ann had disappeared back into the treatment room, I dropped into the swivel chair behind her desk. The extensive list spread out in front of me, filled with medical terms and complex drug names.

I systematically went through the pages and made notes to make sure I understood every detail. The wealth of information required my full concentration. Some of the terms were already familiar to me from my time at the hospital, while others were completely foreign to me. I used a pencil to mark a few passages that were still unclear to me and needed clarification.

A refreshing breeze blew through the open window, accompanied by subliminal musical sounds. The Beach came back to life. It wasn't long before the muffled thump of the bass filled the room. It was probably something you had to get used to if you wanted to work here.

However, the constant sound also made it difficult to maintain my concentration. Sighing, I got up and went to the window to close it, but not before taking a quick look out onto the grounds. The party downstairs was already in full swing. Party people were crowded together, laughing and moving to the music as if nothing could dampen their joy.

Strangely enough, I almost felt a little melancholy at the sight. It was weird, almost paradoxical, that I would once have done anything to experience such normal things. But now that I finally had the opportunity, I decided to spend my time in a medical facility again, and completely voluntarily this time.

What was wrong with me?

Did I really feel such a longing for the sterile hospital atmosphere, or did the need to assuage my guilty conscience simply prevail?

Time flew by and I was so engrossed in my work that I was almost startled when Ann suddenly appeared in the doorway again.

"How's it going?" she asked, stepping closer to take a look at my notes.

"Pretty good," I said quickly. "But I still have a few questions."

Ann nodded understandingly.

"Well, come with me for now," she instructed, turning back to the door that led into the adjoining treatment room. "We still have a little time until the first ones arrive. Then I'll explain a few basics to you and you can ask your questions afterwards."

Despite Ann's rather intimidating and brusque manner, she proved to be a patient teacher and managed to dispel my initial uncertainty in no time at all. Her explanations were clear and well-structured and she always made sure that I understood all the necessary information down to the last detail.

"I want you to focus on the initial admission of patients today," she told me afterwards. "This means that you will assess every single player who arrives here later for their injuries and complaints before they are even allowed to enter the examination room. It's important to recognize as quickly as possible who is in acute mortal danger and to decide independently who needs priority treatment."

I swallowed instinctively and a queasy feeling spread through my stomach.

"So I'm supposed to decide who has priority?" I asked.

"That's right. I know it's not an easy task, especially for a beginner with no previous medical knowledge. That's why I've put together important questions in advance that will help you to better assess the situations. There are clear indications that you need to pay attention to in order to make your decision. If you are still unsure, ask me first."

Ann handed me another extensive document with a detailed list of the points just mentioned. I took it hesitantly and felt momentarily overwhelmed by my task.

"The first few times will be challenging for you, but you'll learn quickly," she assured me.

I took a deep breath and went through the list one by one with Ann. She then gave me a short time to internalize my task and repeat what I had learned. I hadn't expected her to give me such a responsible task on the very first day. Admittedly, I was afraid of failing. The task was too important to mess up. But at the same time, the confidence Ann had in my abilities also gave me a certain amount of confidence.

While I babbled the handout she had given me out loud several times, I heard Ann open a cupboard door and pull out a white coat, which she quickly slipped on. It was the first time I had seen her in work clothes.

Somehow I had previously assumed that Ann worked at the Beach without a uniform, which wouldn't be too surprising in a place where swimwear was a staple.

"Here," she suddenly stood in front of me and handed me a white bundle of fabric. "Put this on!"

With a fluttery feeling in my chest, I stepped in front of the narrow mirror attached to the inside of the wardrobe door. Unlike Ann's, the smock had striking light blue accents on the collar and in the side pocket area. After I had fastened the buttons of the smock and tied my hair into a tight plait, I dared to take another look in the mirror.

I hardly recognized myself. The fabric, which sat comfortably around my shoulders, seemed to give me a certain authority, although I was still struggling with a lot of self-doubt inside.

Would I make the right decision and actually be a help to Ann in her daily work?

"Much better," Ann remarked with a satisfied smile as she surveyed me. "Most people are reassured by seeing someone in a white coat. It gives them an impression of competence."

I nodded eagerly as I tried to get a grip on my nervousness. At the moment, a hundred thoughts were racing through my head, so I was unable to give her an appropriate answer. My silence, however, seemed to give me away.

"Remember, Izumi, it's normal to be unsure at first. But with time and experience, you will become more confident in your decisions. First aid and injury assessment is also often a matter of intuition. Trust that you are doing the right thing."

"I'll do my best!" I assured her in a steady voice as my guts tightened into a tight ball of fear and uncertainty.

The responsibility on my shoulders weighed as heavy as lead, an oppressive burden that I found hard to ignore. But now I could no longer back down. The booming music and the cheerful hustle and bustle outside seemed far away at that moment. Now was the time to save lives - as many as possible.

The treatment room was now filled with an almost eerie silence as I listened for the first signs of activity in the corridor. The muffled sound of distant footsteps and quiet murmuring indicated that the first players had already arrived.

Ann nodded to me encouragingly.

"Good luck," she told me before I finally left the treatment room behind me.

The door closed quietly, my anxiety had now covered my entire body like an invisible veil, rendering me almost immobile for a moment. Nevertheless, I made an effort not to leave the field to it.

"Fighting," I muttered to myself and clenched my hand into a symbolic fist.

After another deep breath, I shook my head briefly to shake off the rest of my insecurity before walking with my head held high.

My eyes fell on the two young men who had already taken their seats in the waiting area. Even at first glance, I could tell that one of them needed urgent medical attention, as he was holding a black piece of cloth pressed tightly against the back of his hand. His face was contorted in pain and sweat was running down his forehead. At the moment, I could only speculate what had happened to him.

They looked at me in disbelief as I approached them.

"Hello, I'm Izumi and Ann's new assistant," I introduced myself briefly. "I'm responsible for getting the patients into the treatment room. May I ask what happened?"

I looked at the injured man in front of me with a genuinely concerned expression as he let out a few squeezed sounds of pain.

His companion next to him quickly took the floor:

"We were in a clubs game where you had to find a secret key together in order to progress. The key was hidden in the belly of a snake. And of course it tried to defent itself, as you can see."

I nodded and made a few notes on the side.

"Do you know what kind of snake it was? Was it perhaps poisonous?"

"I have no idea. It all happened so quickly," he replied, looking helplessly at his friend next to him, who was looking paler every second.

"How long ago was it, roughly?" I asked, because I thought this information was relevant.

"We drove here as quickly as we could. Maybe twenty minutes," he guessed.

"Well, I suggest we waste no more time. There's no one else here at the moment. Ann will look after him. I'm sure she'll be fine."

Together with his friend, I accompanied the patient inside, but I barely had time to report to Ann before two more patients turned up.

A woman had just come out of the elevator and hobbled straight to a chair where she dropped down exhausted, while an elderly man came in with a head wound. He was walking up and down the corridor, a little disoriented, so I approached him first. The blood on his forehead had already dried and his gaze was a little unfocused as he looked at me.

"Hello, can you tell me what happened to you?" I asked, trying to sound reasonably professional.

"Am I at the cardiologist's?" he asked, looking around excitedly. "I have an appointment today."

I stared at him speechlessly for a moment and my gaze went thoughtfully back up to his forehead, where the blood-smeared wound was gaping.

"You're here in the infirmary at the Beach Hotel. Do you feel a headache?" I asked cautiously.

"I have a weak heart, nurse, so I have to go for an ECG now. I also have my medical card with me." Excitedly, he began to rummage in his trouser pockets. The old man definitely had more than just a weak heart. "Where is it? It was just there," he mumbled to himself.

I put on a friendly smile and placed my hand on his shoulder to get his attention. He paused, confused, to look at me.

"It's all right, Mister..."

I paused intentionally.

"...Yoshikawa," he said, immediately seeming a little more mollified.

"Mr. Yoshikawa," I said, continuing to smile as I escorted him into the examination room with my hand on his back. "Don't worry about it! I'll take you straight to our cardiologist. She's very competent," I promised him.

"You really are too kind, my dear."

I heaved a sigh of relief when I finally got him into Ann's care. But the relief was short-lived as I was distracted by frantic footsteps echoing in the corridor.

A man was running straight towards me. He was carrying a young woman in his arms. When he came to a halt in front of me, I covered my mouth in shock. The sight of her lifeless form in his arms shook me.

Her skin was extensively covered in small blisters that glowed alarmingly and resembled a patchwork of different shades of red. About a third of her body showed visible redness, even parts of her face were covered in a shiny layer - a sign that fluid had already leaked from the blisters. I recognized this kind of wound straight away. The painful experiences of my last game made me empathize with her agony, although my own burns seemed almost harmless in comparison. The singed smell in the air also brought back unwanted memories of the last game.

"Please help her," the young man begged me. The deep pain in his eyes struck me as if it were my own.

I nodded and led him without hesitation to Ann, who was tending to the confused old man's wound. However, when she saw the badly wounded woman, she jumped up without hesitation and ordered the newcomer to place her on one of the examination tables. I could hardly tear my eyes away from the scene, but I didn't have time to watch because the next patients were already waiting at the door.

I gasped for air when I saw that five more people had already gathered in the waiting room. And I hadn't even managed to take care of the lady with the foot injury yet. A middle-aged woman with blonde hair approached me. She also looked shaken up. There were clear burn marks, bruises and abrasions on her arm.

A glance around told me that the others standing right next to her were struggling with similar injuries. Their clothes were not only dirty and torn, but also appeared to bear the marks of a hasty escape. Gray ash covered their faces, and their eyes reflected not only physical pain, but also the deep shock they had suffered. They could have been the survivors of a devastating bombing raid, desperately searching for rescue.

One of those present immediately slumped unconscious on a chair, while his team members surrounded him anxiously.

"What's happened?" I asked shrilly, and quickly started moving. The others looked at me uncertainly.

"He was with the others in a sports stadium that collapsed out of the blue. Hot water came shooting out of the ground everywhere," a stocky man explained to me in a brittle voice. "I wasn't a participant, I just saw it from the outside. I'd just come from another game. Someone said it was a seven of spades."

When he had finished, he gave a clear view of the man huddled on the chairs, holding his left arm against him in a strange position. The sight of his injured hand sent me into a sudden state of shock, because it was so deformed that it was hardly even a hand. I closed my eyes for a moment to get myself back under control and maintain my professionalism.

I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

It wasn't long before more people from the same game found their way to the infirmary, each one more battered than the next. With some of them, I could only suppress the nausea with difficulty. In most cases, it was easy to see who needed immediate help, but sometimes it was a challenge to decide which patient needed more urgent treatment. Especially because you often only had a few seconds to assess the situation and it could change again within a very short time as soon as a new patient arrived. Many of them seemed so traumatized by the events that it was necessary to calm them down with gentle words while Ann dealt primarily with the physical pain of the players.

"Izumi, bring me a bucket of cool water, but not too cold," Ann instructed me as I entered the examination room once again.

She had her hands full by now because I had already brought in new patients, although she hadn't finished treating the others yet. But the flood of serious cases continued to grow. The players from the sports station alone would have provided more than enough work that night, but more players from other games were arriving almost by the minute. By now, the mass of patients was barely manageable.

I nodded, ready to put Ann's instructions into practice, and ran frantically to the washbasin, even though my bladder had already been pressing for some time - but there was no time for something so trivial.

"Keep the patient's wounds cool until I get back," she ordered me and then turned her attention to another patient with much more serious injuries.

My task of bringing patients into the room had thus dissolved and it wasn't long before Ann had more tasks ready for me. I was so busy that at one point I even forgot that I had to go to the toilet.

"Compress," Ann said to me. I quickly handed her one. Tensely, I looked around the premises. The examination room was now like a field hospital at the end of a brutal battle. The beds in the room next door were all occupied. I had even had to set up another folding bed to accommodate all the patients and, as it looked at the moment, even that wouldn't last much longer. We were at our limit and Ann already looked like she was going to collapse at any moment.

"You should sit down for a minute," I said as I noticed her staggering momentarily and rubbing her forehead in agony.

Ann, however, just shook her head silently.

"Never mind," she quickly waved it off as if nothing was wrong and reached for the tweezers I handed her. She was unreasonable and stubborn, but at the same time I admired her stamina. Anyone else would have thrown in the towel long ago given the situation.

How had she been able to cope with all these hardships on her own?

The whimpering and agonizing sobs that filled the room were starting to get to me. Not to mention the fact that my concentration was gradually waning.

An unexpected gust of wind made us stop abruptly. The door was pushed open with a loud bang. I stared speechlessly at the person who had entered the room. He looked around, sighed heavily and took his hands out of his jacket pockets to stroll leisurely to the disinfectant dispenser.

The smell of the disinfectant hit my nose as he rubbed it into his hands. Then he fixed his gaze on one of the patients, who had just broken out in a severe coughing fit and was already starting to retch.

"Gloves," he ordered gruffly as he quickly positioned the pale blue man on his back.

I watched his skillful movements transfixed. Ann next to me also seemed to have lost all speech.

"Chishiya..." I breathed in disbelief, hardly believing my eyes.

"Come on, hurry up," he snapped at me and turned around, annoyed. "And a Guedel airway."

What the hell?

Completely overwhelmed, I scrambled to get the gloves while trying to remember what this damn airway looked like that I was supposed to bring him. I feverishly combed through the cupboards for it. But Ann was quicker and wordlessly handed me the item I was looking for.

Hastily, I rushed over to Chishiya and handed him the box with the gloves, which he slipped over his hands almost routinely. With a practiced move, he pulled the patient's chin up and put an arm around his neck. The man did not move. After checking his breathing, Chishiya grabbed the curved plastic funnel and inserted it into the patient's throat with an elegant twist.

I watched the scene before my eyes, spellbound, as I sank to my knees next to them.

I glanced over at Ann, who looked just as surprised by Chishiya's unexpected appearance. My mind raced as I watched him continue his life-saving measures as if he had never done anything else.

The tension in the room peaked as the patients around us whispered excitedly. Ann, however, seemed to regain her composure more quickly and continued her work unperturbed, while I couldn't manage to take my eyes off him for even a second.

Why had he kept quiet for the last few days, only to suddenly appear in the infirmary like the heroic savior in white?

"Stop dreaming and bring me a pulse oximeter!"

Chishiya's cutting voice snapped me out of my stupor again and made me flinch abruptly.

"Coming right up." Without thinking, I whirled around, but as I was about to open the cabinet in front of me, I paused in my movement to slowly turn to face Chishiya. "Uhh, what was that again?"

Chishiya groaned.

"In the drawer on the top right. You use it to measure oxygen saturation."

"Ah yes, I know that," I quickly pulled open the drawer and reached unerringly for the handy device inside.

On the one hand, I was relieved about Chishiya's appearance, as it meant a huge relief for us, especially for Ann, who was almost at her physical limits today. On the other hand, Chishiya's behavior also puzzled me.

Why hadn't he reacted much earlier?

And why did he take action now, of all times, when he obviously didn't care about the people in the infirmary?

The questions that were flooding my brain would have to wait a while for clarification.