Part 91: November 21: Conditions Worsen

Take a look at this. Namatame's in today's paper.

> The front page's headline article says that Namatame has regained consciousness.

Newspaper article: "Today before dawn, the suspect Taro Namatame, who had been confined in a local hospital, regained consciousness. In response to police questioning, he testified that he is sorry for what he has done, and was scared. From here on, the police are hoping to solve the entire case based on the suspect's depositions."
So it's finally over...
Yeah...Seriously. I wish we could've done it sooner.
Isn't the fog kinda thick this morning? And it's so chilly...brrrr!
It rarely gets this cold in November...


Perfect timing. I just got a call from the hospital. They said that starting today, it's okay to visit Nanako-chan.

-New Days-

So she's getting a little better...Thank goodness!
Oh, is that today's paper? So you already know about him...
How's Namatame doing?
He's regained consciousness, but it's hard to say...
He's still mentally unstable, but we're slowly piecing together his story.
This is still a secret, but I guess it's okay to tell you guys...
You know that diary we found? There were entries about Ms. Yamano and Ms. Konishi in it. Looks like Namatame had been making advances on Ms. Konishi.
That son of a bitch...!
U-Uh, well...I'm gonna head to the hospital now.
Dojima-san's recovering too, so I need to go over a few things about this case with him.


Sorry...I'm all right. Namatame's been caught. He can't hurt anyone now...But forget him! Let's all go visit Nanako-chan after school!
Of course!
Let's tell the others once we get to school.

-Specialist-


Ms. Sofue: Though you may be very busy with your studies, make sure you keep up your personal grooming. Every year, some boys come stumbling into class with stubble on their chins. Of course, their 5 o'clock shadow is more a 5-day shadow. Speaking of facial hair, some nations used to impose a tax on facial hair. In 18th century Russia, they also had a hat tax, bath tax, laundry tax, chimney tax, and more, to fund their military. Those sure were taxing times...hohoho! Be sure to take this down. You never know what'll be on the test, just like you never know what'll be taxed next.

I completely forgot there's a test coming up! Kou, Ayane, Naoki, and Ai are all unavailable until it's done. I thought I had two more weeks to work with! Not only that, but it means those shrine fortunes for Ayane were completely pointless. It's not a fatal mistake--I've still got plenty of time to complete every Social Link--but it does mean...well, you'll see. Anyway, we've got far more important concerns:

-New Days-




Big...bro...

> Talking still seems painful for her...Nevertheless, Nanako looks happy...


Nurse: *sigh* How many times does this make it today? I understand you're worried about your daughter, but you still need your rest, too!
Why the hell are they in different rooms to begin with?
Ngh...S-Sorry.
Um...Are your injuries that bad?
Hm...Well, my wounds have just closed up, and it seems I have a couple of fractures as well.
I'm sorry. I'll wheel him back to his room immediately.
What're you apologizing for...?
Nurse: It's almost time for your checkup, so make sure you're back in your room before then.
Big...bro...
Do you need anything?
Stay...here...

> Nanako closed her eyes with a relieved expression...She seems to have fallen asleep.
......


Doctor: Her condition is stable for now, but...I never thought I'd say this as a doctor, but we still can't figure out the cause of Nanako-chan's symptoms. That's why we can only administer temporary treatments to alleviate her current pains.
But she's not in danger anymore, is she?
Doctor: She's regained consciousness, but we can't let our guard down yet. All we can do for now is to monitor her condition closely...
......
Adachi. How's it going with Namatame?
Well, he's awake now, but he's in no condition to tell us anything useful. We only get a little time each day to interrogate him, so we're stuck until his strength recovers.
I see...I should get back to work as soon as possible. Hopefully by then, Nanako will be out of the hospital...
Umm...I think Nanako-chan can get more peace and quiet if she stays here.
It's so foggy out, and there's been some weird rumors going around...Seems like no one knows why there's so much fog in town.
Doctor: It's true. The number of patients complaining about fog-related health problems has increased. Which is quite unusual...
Isn't that just a rumor?
Doctor: I can't say for sure that it has no effect on the human body...It certainly could be a psychological effect. People's anxiety over the fog could cause problems. But as far as the fog's chemical makeup...Well, that's not my field, so I can only speculate. What concerns me is that transportation of our medical supplies has been delayed due to the fog...
Fog-related health problems...Now that's just ridiculous. Anyone who says that is just blowing smoke.

> Nanako has somehow regained consciousness. But it seems that it will take more time until she fully recovers...Namatame's interrogation has finally begun...The fog that won't lift, and people's mysterious health problems...For now, it seems that you can only watch and wait to see how things will turn out.

-Who's There?-


Passing housewife: I've never seen anything like it.
Shopping housewife: I wonder what's causing it. It's so creepy...I heard that a friend of mine's son got sick from the fog and collapsed. You know how sensitive children are to that sort of thing.
Passing housewife: I heard something too...They say an old man was driving through the fog and got into an accident.
Shopping housewife: What? Did he lose control?
Passing housewife: Well, he'd never been in an accident or even gotten a ticket before, so something seems off...Isn't that scary?
Shopping housewife: I've even heard there are experts saying it's poisonous. I wonder if that's true...
Passing housewife: Do you think it's, you know, because of that global warming thing? This town's changed a lot over the years. I wish the government would step in and do something about this.
Shopping housewife: Oh, I agree completely. If we're going to pay taxes, I expect the authorities to do their jobs.


Gas-masked man: Don't inhale the fog, or you'll die!


Passing housewife: Poisonous gas, though...?
Shopping housewife: Oh, I'm sure it's not true...
Passing housewife: ......
Shopping housewife: Hm? Is something wrong?
Passing housewife: Oh my...I-I think I'm coming down with something...
Shopping housewife: Y-You can't be serious...Ahaha...That's right, I needed to do some grocery shopping. Well then...



-Omen-



This can't be good.


Hobby shop owner: Models these days are so good. Just putting them together is enough to make them look like the real thing. That's why the true mark of a skilled modelbuilder is battle damage! Bullet holes, precision dents and welds...What's that? You've heard enough? I see...All right, you do what you can with this, and we'll see how good you are!
At least this guy doesn't let anything dampen his geeky, geeky spirits.