44 – Cypress Mosaic

Around ​that ​time, ​his ​mother had stopped ​going ​to ​the ​lab ​a month prior. While ​it ​was said to ​be for the ​sake ​of ​focusing ​on ​her ​recovery, it was ​an ​inevitable ​choice because working ​had become impossible.

After taking ​a sip ​or two ​of coffee, ​his mother ​leaned ​back ​comfortably in her ​chair, gazing ​out the window.

“I feel ​like I have a ​bit more energy today.”

“Really? ​That’s a ​relief.”

“I ​wonder if the new medication I ​started taking is working.”

Elian ​tried ​to ​smile ​as ​brightly as possible ​for his ​mother, ​but it wasn’t ​easy.

At ​the time, the medication his ​mother took ​with ​every meal amounted ​to ​more ​than ​twenty ​pills. The ​doctor, ​who had ​initially prescribed mild antidepressants while recommending exercise ​and nutritional supplements, ​had added more ​medication every time a ​new symptom ​appeared. Before long, ​the ​dosage had reached ​that level. It ​was painful ​just ​to watch ​her ​swallow a ​handful ​of pills, ​divided ​into ​groups of two ​or ​three.

As the ​number ​of ​pills ​increased, her body, conversely, grew lighter and lighter. It was as if she were slowly wearing away from the inside.

“But why are you home at this hour? Shouldn’t you be at work?”

Even as she asked, his mother seemed glad that Elian was home. Elian took a sip of coffee and answered, avoiding her eyes.

“Actually, I took the day off today.”

“A day off?”

“I’m planning to go to Wisconsin.”

His mother’s face darkened. She slowly set down her mug.

“Wisconsin… do you mean North River Biomedical?”

Elian nodded.

“I can’t just sit back and do nothing.”

“Elian.”

Her voice calling her son was heavy.

“I don’t want to say this, but… they won’t want to take any responsibility.”

“But you were healthy, Mom. There’s nothing else that could have caused this besides that trial.”

“Unfortunately, no evidence was found in my body to prove that.”

Elian’s hand, resting on the table, clenched tightly into a fist.

“It’s a company that tried to hide its identity through several shell corporations. There are so many suspicious things about them. Besides, there might be other victims.”

He forced himself to ignore the mixture of guilt, pity, and worry in his mother’s eyes. Elian’s resolve was absolute.

“At the very least, I need to meet them in person and hear what they have to say. I can’t give up before that.”

After driving north from Chicago for about two hours, the scenery changed. The landscape of low forests and lakes was secluded and peaceful.

On the outskirts of Wisconsin, in a quiet, high-end residential area where mansions lined the lakeshore. It was a region that didn’t seem particularly suited as a base for a bio-startup.

Everything was so excessively pristine that it felt like a movie set, and there wasn’t a single person in sight [stolen content]on the streets. Even the sunlight illuminating the picture-perfect mansions felt fake somehow. Read on Read BL NovelsA strangely twisted, distorted peace permeated the entire town. It was like a landscape from an Edward Hopper painting.

Elian parked his car about ten meters away from his destination and stepped out. The North River Biomedical building looked like a modern villa from the outside.

A high iron gate, which blocked any view of the interior, was firmly closed, and a sturdy security guard stood watch at the security booth. Elian tried to explain his situation, but the guard simply repeated that anyone without an appointment could not visit.

After Elian’s persistent persuasion, the security guard contacted the interior of the company to explain the situation, and entry was finally granted.

An employee in a black suit came to meet Elian and guided him inside the building. He observed carefully as they walked down the hallway, but he couldn’t find any clues about the company. There were only endless white walls.

If there was one distinguishing feature, it was the painting of a crescent moon hanging on the white walls. A golden crescent moon floating in a pitch-black night sky.

It was a puzzling painting.

A crescent moon is a moon that can be seen briefly in the western sky shortly after sunset. Yet, a crescent moon against a black night sky.

“Mr. Ward, could you wait here for a moment? The person in charge will be with you shortly.”

The same painting hung on the wall of the reception room he was led to. Come to think of it, the employee who guided him there also wore a badge of the same shape on the lapel of his suit.

The representative who appeared in the reception room a moment later was no different.

The name of the Clinical Trial his mother had participated in flashed vividly in Elian’s mind.

Project CRESCENT. A crescent moon.

It seemed highly likely that the name North River Biomedical was merely a mask, and that the crescent moon was the true symbol of this company.

After a dry exchange of introductions, the conversation with the representative continued. Having listened to Elian’s calm explanation, the representative asked questions with an unwavering face and tone.

“What symptoms is she exhibiting?”

“Chronic fatigue, indigestion, weight loss, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, decreased gastrointestinal motility, and sleep disorders. Here are the medical records and the doctor’s opinion.”

The representative skimmed through the materials Elian handed over.

“Isn’t it just simple fatigue or a decline in physical strength? The doctor’s opinion seems to say the same in the end. There isn’t even a clear diagnosis.”

“She was a very healthy person. She has never suffered from simple fatigue for this long.”

“People who seem healthy can be diagnosed with terminal [stolen content][Read on Read BL Novels]cancer overnight. Seeming healthy is merely a fleeting impression.”

The representative’s attitude wasn’t dismissive, but it was extremely mechanical and businesslike. A suffocating feeling pressed down on Elian, as if he were talking to an automated responder programmed to repeat the same words.

“These symptoms started when she participated in this trial. They are continuing to worsen.”

“The fact that the symptoms started when she participated in the trial is merely a coincidence in timing. That does not prove a causal relationship. To be honest, there is no evidence that the symptoms started exactly then. The hospital records only begin after that.”

“That’s because we also thought it was simple fatigue in the beginning.”

“I understand that it has been several months since she stopped participating in the trial. And yet, you are claiming it is because of our trial?”

Elian appealed desperately.

“If this is due to a side effect of the trial, I want to ask if there is any way to deal with it. I’m not asking for accountability; I’m asking for your cooperation in her treatment.”

“What kind of cooperation are you referring to?”

“If there are any drugs or ingredients administered without prior notice, please share them. It might help with the treatment. Every moment is urgent.”

The representative pushed the materials Elian had handed over back toward him. His face, devoid of any emotion or expression, was like a mask. In his eyes, [visit our site]Elian couldn’t find even a hint [unauthorized copy]of hostility or wariness. There was a chilling lack of human vitality. It felt as if he might rip off the mask at any moment to reveal a metal robot hidden inside.

“This is a study that entered the Clinical Trial stage after obtaining official approval. Since Ms. Claire Ward is also a researcher in the relevant field, she decided to participate voluntarily after thoroughly reviewing the materials provided in advance. Furthermore, to date, there have been no reported cases of similar symptoms other than Ms. Claire Ward.”

“How can I believe that?”

Elian, who had tried his best to maintain a calm demeanor until then, finally sharpened his tone.

“The phone numbers, the emails—everything was temporary, and you hid your identity behind layers of shell corporations and paper companies, didn’t you? Am I supposed to just take the word of such a company?”

The representative stared at Elian impassively. However, his eyes, which had seemed like artificial products without any luster throughout, flashed with aggression at that moment.

“Mr. Ward, there is nothing in our project that was conducted in an illegal manner. If you wish to hold us accountable, you are welcome to sue. You won’t find any evidence.”

It was exactly as his mother had predicted. They admitted nothing.

The circumstances of concealing the company’s identity through multiple shell corporations and paper companies supported the suspicion, but to be clear, that process itself was not illegal. There was only a strong suspicion that their trial was abnormal; no concrete evidence had been found.

Perhaps Elian realized that he had expected this situation. That coming here would yield no significant results. Even so, he simply could not stand by and watch his mother grow weaker by the day.