- 25 years ago -
Late at night at Asclepius Hospital...
"Are you out of your mind?!" The doors to the medical ward violently opens, and a man barges through.
A fairly slender man with glasses turns around, "What's the matter?" He asks curiously.
The man slams a pile of papers onto the desk, "I found your notes, Heinrich! It took me a little while to figure out why exactly you were recording all of the patients' behavioral changes and personality analysis. Day by day, you studied them, influenced them..."
Dr. Ryker paused for moment then adjusted his glasses, "And what do those notes tell you, Tenma?"
"You son of a [sonic slicer]..." Tenma balled up his fists, "I always pondered why some of our patients suffered from cardiac arrests so frequently in these last few months. The deaths, the timing, the way they passed away in cooresponance with those notes... You killed them. Their lives that they entrusted to us! To nurture them back to heath! And you... you took that away from them!"
"Tenma..."
"What the hell were you thinking?! Why would you do such a thing?!" He yelled.
"It wasn't a homicide!" Dr. Ryker slammed his fist on the desk.
"No, it was suicide! Assisted suicide!" Tenma shouted as he thew the papers at Heinrich's feet, "I had their IV bags chemically analyzed. The morphine residue left inside was a far greater amount than the intended dose. And if I ordered an autopsy on those bodies, I think we both know what we'd find. They overdosed. You MADE them overdose!"
"I did no such thing," Dr. Ryker stated firmly, "You've seen what I've seen, Tenma. You know the physical and mental state of many of these patients. Some are a shell of their former selves; their cells have deteriorated, their bones are fragile and there comes a time where even thinking is a chore for them. Days feel like weeks, minutes feel like hours... and the will to live is non-existant. They wanted the pain to end. I saw it in their eyes and I know you could see it, too. They asked... no, they pleaded with me for a quick death. Everything that happened from the day they walked into this hospital until the day they wanted release from this life was entirely by their own consent."
"What gives you the right to judge who lives and who dies?! We're doctors, it isn't our place to play God! You're a murderer!" Tenma seethed and grabbed Dr. Ryker's collar.
"It's not my right, however, it is their right to decide what happens to their lives," He removed Tenma's grip from his collar, "I consoled with them until the end and tried to be their partner through these dark times. Some of them have lived full lives."
"And some of them were also children!" He retorted, "They all had such a full life ahead of them, and you stripped that away from them."
"When you're dealing with diseases, sometimes you have to take drastic measures. We did all that we could in attempts to cure them and diminish their symptoms, but we weren't making any headway, and they were only getting worse," He explained.
Tenma pulled out his phone, "I've heard just about enough of your bullshit. We find a way! That's what we do as doctors! We never give up on our patients! What you're doing is illegal. Because of you, the Medical Board could lose funding! Resources! I... I'm afraid I have to turn you in, Heinrich," he began dialing a number on his phone.
Dr. Ryker adjusted his glasses and paced around the office, "You know, now that you mention it, that's the thing about young children. It's incredibly easy for them to contract illnesses and diseases. Some are more susceptible than others. I am quite curious how easy it would be for your newborn to contract something like that. You and your wife are trying to start a family, yes?"
Tenma stopped dialing on his phone and stared at the doctor, narrowing his eyes, "Heinrich... are you threatening my family?" He said each word slowly and sternly, stepping closer to him.
"Who, me? Not at all," He casually picked a piece of lint off of his coat, "I'm just letting you know how... unfortunate life can be, at times. The mother could die during childbirth, or perhaps even before conceiving a child, depending on her condition. Why, just about anything could happen in this crazy world of ours," the side of his mouth twitched and his pupils dilated. There was a somewhat joyful tone to his voice.
"You sick son of a [sonic slicer]... I always knew there was something off with you. But this... you're going to rot in hell!"
"I'm sorry you feel that way. Truly, I am," Dr. Ryker took the phone from his hand and snapped it in half, "I'm sure you've had a very long day, doctor. Go home to your wife. Make sure she's safe. After all, you never know what kind of crazy... ' sons of bitches' are roaming around at night," He was mere inches away from Tenma and with an unwavering and emotionless face, stared right at him.
No happiness. No sadness. Nothing much to describe. Staring into Heinrich's eyes was like sinking into the abyss. Embrace it for too long, and there's no telling if you'd come back the same person... or come back, at all.