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3803 hurried down the capillary, clipboard clutched tight. She was supposed to be guiding a new recruit today but, as usual, time was not on her side.
Her heart thumped as she spotted the girl waiting by the oxygen station: bright‑eyed, and cart already loaded.
“Hey there!" she said, between violent gasps, "You’re AF0001, right?”
“Yup!” The girl responded, gripping her cart like it was an extension of herself and walking towards 3803. Her jet black hair jumped up and down with the nod of her head and her eyes were wide and alert.
3803 shoved the clip board into the crook of her armpit to stick out her hand.
“Well, it's very nice to meet you! I’m AE3803! I'll be showing you around the body and helping you with anything you might need! Any questions before we get started?”
0001 latched on and shook with surprising strength. “Nope! Thanks, but im just DYING to get out there and meet some other cells!"
3803's eyes widened in surprise. She couldn't recall being so excited her first time. In fact, her experience was more: I'm optimistically terrified, than anything.
"In that case, let's see what work there is to do!”
3803 checked her clipboard, glancing at all the stacked orders in front of them, then going and filling up her own cart with oxygen boxes.
“We have to deliver these pronto. You just follow the directions on each of the boxes' clipboards, then drop off the oxygen to the cells listed. Simple!”
Was it? With the number of times she got lost in a day, she was in no position to be making such claims, and immediately regretted the words at the fear 0001 would see right through her fib.
But if 0001 noticed a thing, she sure knew how to mask it—only nodding and saying “You know... since im new and all, I’m still kinda learning the layout around these parts. Would you mind showing me where this place here is?”
Warmth bloomed in 3803's chest. Had she finally met her match? Another cell who had not a clue in the world how to read symbols on a map (its harder than it looks!)
The red head glanced at the label—and for once, knew the place. Maybe she could pull this mentor thing off after all.
"Of course I can! I’ll walk you through all the deliveries today, and then maybe tomorrow we can try and go solo once you’re more comfor—”
But 0001 cut her off suddenly.
“Oh! Uh--n-never mind. Now that I’m looking at it, these directions aren’t so bad! I think I might actually know where this place is! Ha-ha!”
3803's confidence collapsed—like a vesicle ruptured mid-transport.
“W-What? B-But you just said you had no idea—”
“I’m gonna try and figure this one out on my own, Senpai, if that’s alright with you."
Her sunflower eyes shimmered with determination— the kind 3803 recognized all too well, she'd seen it in her own reflection a million times. How could she possibly deny her the same opportunity to prove herself?
“Oh…um... if you insist!” 3803 tried not to let her disappointment show in her voice, but her facial muscles were sore and failing, still she forced it to curve up into something close to a smile.
"Let’s just meet back here to sort through the orders then. A-And don’t be afraid to ask for help if you get lost!”
0001 was already skipping off, her gait playful and light like a little platelet.
3803 had hoped to prove herself as a mentor today, but clearly they were off to an inflamed start.
She sighed, uncertain if it was out of relief or worry. If 0001 was anything like her, she believed full heartedly it was worry.
The day rolled on smoothly. A little Too smoothly for 3803's liking.
She took back her morning thoughts. 0001 wasn’t anything like her.
At.
All.
She delivered faster, navigated better, and despite her earlier comment about "learning the layout"--happened to be the one seeking 3803 out after completing several deliveries that were all twice the distance of the latter's.
By late afternoon, the red head stood beside the delivery rack, eyeing the final two nutrient baskets. One was light and local. The other--heavy and marked for a winding route through the narrowest capillaries in the region.
She reached for the heavier one, determined to finally work her muscles and show this rookie what her senpai was capable of, but 0001 swept in with a disapproving frown and snatched it from her hands.
“No way am I letting you take this one Senpai! You’ve been working hard all day. I’ve got this.” She said, standing out of reach so 3803 couldn’t even fight her for it. 3803 hesitated.
“Are you sure? I feel bad making you do all the heavy lifting! Really, I should be the one to do it!” She expressed this vehemently, but 0001 only shrugged.
“Newer cells like me have tons of energy. Just stay put, I’ll be back in no time!”
3803 wiped her brow, noting how she'd just been backhandedly called old and how 0001 hadn’t even broken a sweat.
She watched silently as the dark haired blood cell headed off with the nutrient basket, skipping joyfully as usual, and the rise of an uncomfortable pit settled in 3803s stomach.
She couldn’t deny it any longer. Jealousy and awe twisted together inside her, stirred up by the girl’s skill despite her limited experience. 3803 smiled after her, shaking her head. She’d have to commend the newbie for that when she got back.
All was well, until a small vitamin C rolled loose from 0001's basket and tumbled to the ground behind her. She didn't notice and kept walking.
3803's eyes widened in horror.
Without a moment of heisitation, she shot out into the crowded section of cells and grabbed the orange swiftly off the ground before it was squished and kicked about.
She planned to return the essential vitamin to its rightful owner, but a single glance up at her surroundings made it obvious--0001 was already out of sight.
A relevant memory flashed through her mind just then, and she recalled peeking at the clipboard for the basket of nutrients before 0001 snatched it away.
“Come on red blood cell, think! Think! What did it say! What did it—oh!”
Of course! It was apartment number BC6290 in the west wing—one of the narrowest capillaries she most hated delivering to, but nonetheless did often because it was closest to the pickup orders, and the easiest to remember.
The last thing she wanted was 0001 to mess up on her first day when the girl was working so hard to obtain her praise. 3803 decided right then and there she would do everything in her power to make sure her trainee finished her first day with flying colors.
Rushing past surprised cells with excuse me’s and sorry’s, 3803 made it to the apartments in the west wing capillary district, with the last building containing a plaque on the wall that read BC6290.
She rushed in between the alley of the adjoining apartment, slowing down halfway as the walls began to widen. The vitamin C stayed cradled in her gloved hands, its smooth surface warm from her delicate grip, which was careful not to bruise it.
The walkway had narrowed behind, but ahead it opened into a quiet, dim corridor with a t intersection leading around both buildings.
A sudden scream—muffled and wet—echoed off the walls just then.
3803 froze.
She stopped short of the corner she'd been approaching, realizing it'd come from that direction.
“0001?”
She whispered, stepping forward as her breath caught deep in her airways. With her heart thudding rapidly in her chest, she braced herself instinctually. It wasnt uncommon to encounter abnormalties in the capilarries. Though she certainly wasnt prepared to meet one now.
She moved forward with a deadly curiosity, expecting a germ or a trapped red blood cell in need of assistance.
Instead, 0001's basket came into view as she took another step around the bend. It was tipped over, nutrients spilled like confetti across the floor.
Fear filled every sense in her being when she saw it.
0001 loomed over a trembling red blood cell as her form shifted grotesquely.
Her limbs elongated as the skin rippled into a slick, translucent membrane. The eyes—oh the eyes—they glowed yellow and split into dozens. She opened her mouth—too wide, too sharp—and swallowed the blood cell whole.
3803 gasped, but before the sound escaped, a white-gloved hand clamped over her mouth and yanked her back around the corner.
3803 stumbled into them, her breath caught beneath the pressure on her lips.
The glove switched to encasing her entire hand as she realized it was 1146's, and while pulling her behind him, he sprinted down the alley toward the open thoroughfare.
The moment they emerged into the public zone, the world felt jarringly normal—red blood cells bustled past, chatting, laughing, hauling nutrients like nothing had happened.
3803 nearly tripped over her own feet trying to match his pace, her breath ragged and her heart racing even faster than her legs. He moved with the ease of someone long accustomed to this level of exertion. She clung to his hand—and to the vitamin C—letting him pull her forward, the only thing making it possible for her to keep up with his wide, powerful strides.
Finally, to her great relief, 1146 stopped just short of the crowd on the other side of the capillary and 3803 nearly collided with his back as he did so, but he turned and steadied her in what would look like an embrace to others.
However his eyes were locked on the alley they’d escaped from. 3803 looked up at him and studied his expression. As stern and unfriendly as it looked, she knew his clenched jaw wasn't directed at her. He didn’t speak or blink.
Then 0001 stepped out, smoothing her hair and wiping a smear of cytoplasm from her lips. Her expression was calm—almost bored—she blended in effortlessly, if only it weren’t for her sharp, penetrating yellow eyes, too harsh for a slight red blood cell as herself. Too wrong.
1146 pulled 3803 into the shadow of a nearby doorway, shielding her from view. His gaze never left the red blood cell roaming about the capillaries, if she could even be called that. 3803 leaned against the side of the apartment building and tried to steady herself.
“Thank you,”
She said, voice hoarse and hushed by her constant panting. She leaned over as her hands met her knees in a semi squating position. She felt like she was going to die. She'd never been made to run so fast in all her life.
“you saved me.”
1146 nodded curtly, still watching. He stopped suddenly, as if realizing his indifference towards her, and spoke softly, his eyes casting over her hunched over posture breifly.
"Sorry, are you alright? I realize I probably made you run pretty fast back there. Take a minute to catch your breath, it helps if you lean back not forward, and put your hands above your head."
She did as instructed, and felt the air rush into her lungs. It didn't stop the burning in her chest, but it certainly did aid her in breathing.
"And no need to thank me....only doing my job."
His eyes were back on 0001 again. 3803 felt a different pain in her chest, only this one was small, and grew gradually no matter what position she pulled. Of course...he was only doing his job.
“Do you know what she is?” 3803 asked, detering the subject with a question, although afraid she might not want to know even if he did.
“A stealth parasite,” he said without a moment of hesitation. “disguised as a red blood cell. She’s been using you to map the body and killing off red blood cells along the way to use as nutrients. I think its the type that travels alone before mutiplying somewhere near the vital organs.”
There was a calmness to his tone only experience in his line of work could bring, but still, 3803’s stomach dropped.
“T-That’s why she kept taking the long routes? Why she insisted on doing all the work…? Just so she could..."
"The girl is only the host I'm afraid."
1146 added, most definitely relating to her discomfort at the thought, if the look of disgust on his face was anything to go by.
“The other neutrophils and I have been finding delivery baskets scattered all over the place, but I suspected a germ wouldn't be able to go so long undetected. Turns out I was right, that parasite has been hiding in plain sight this whole time.”
3803’s voice cracked.
“Oh I’m so stupid! I should’ve known! She never stopped for glucose or tea after all those deliveries!”
She paused to look down at the vitamin c in her hand.
“But…I guess she had another energy source.”
1146 didn’t respond. His gaze finally sought out her large golden eyes, sorrowful as they were, and his expression remained unreadable.
3803 continued, “…How come you didn’t kill her back there? She was exposed… wasn’t she?”
For the first time that day he appeared nervous.
“...I’ve never seen a parasite mimic a red blood cell so perfectly,” he said, “I didn’t know if the host could be...well…you know. Saved.”
He said it as if it were something shameful, though 3803 saw only kindness when she looked at him.
Still, she understood why he hesitated to share such a taboo idea. It went against everything the body insisted he should be—practical, efficient, concerned only with himself and those who proved useful. The risks tied to such a notion far outweighed the life of a single blood cell. Trying to save one could endanger many.
And yet, she trusted him—more than any other blood cell alive. Because at any moment, it could just as easily be her who became the threat, and she could only hope he would show her the same kindness. That he would reach out his hand and try to save her, too.
1146 continued,
“Besides… she saw you.”
3803 cupped her hands over her mouth.
“No...she saw me?”
“Yes. She’ll definitely be looking for you now.”
She flattened her palms to her sides and leaned back with a shaky breath. Her heart had just begun to slow, and now it was picking back up speed. The hundreds of cells walking by blurred and only his words echoed in her mind. She reached her palm to her head to steady it.
“How do I always end up in these messes…” She whispered.
1146’s eyes returned to the crowd. 0001 was out there, weaving through it like a predator in plain sight. Her gaze swept the district with purpose, pausing on every red uniform that didn’t read 3803.
“I have a plan.” 1146 said, voice low.
3803 blinked. “A plan?”
“I want you to go back out there,” he said. “keep showing her around. Act normal.”
3803 recoiled. “Are you crazy? You just said that thing is after me!”
1146 didn’t flinch, but turned to her with a concerned expression. She wondered if it was concern for her or for his plan.
“All the attacks happened in narrow capillary ways or behind cells' apartments. Places with no witnesses. I don’t think it likes publicity. It won’t risk exposing itself in front of a crowd—not with cells like me nearby.”
He gripped his knife, as if his stiff attitude was a way to cope with restraining himself from sprinting at the parasite that very moment.
"I have to make sure the blood cell it's inhabiting isn't alive."
3803 closed her gaping mouth at his passionate look and peered out from the shadowed doorway, purposely avoiding his intense stare. She knew she wouldn't be able to resist whatever he compelled her to do if she held it.
0001 was pacing in circles now, her mouth a brittle line. A few kind red blood cells stopped to ask if she was lost. She smiled sweetly, shook her head, and moved on—her expression darkening the moment they turned away.
Fear surged through 3803. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t face that thing again. Not after what she'd seen it do to that poor red blood cell.
She wanted to be like 1146—she truly did. The bravery of neutrophils was unmatched. But how could he ask her, so bluntly, to risk her life by going out there again? Did he really have that much faith in her safety, or was she what he’d always implied she was?
"No need to thank me...Only doing my job."
She didn’t mind being "only part of the job." This body had always been her priority, and she couldn’t blame him for seeing it the same way everyone else did. The same way she did. If it died, they all died. She’d risked her life willingly more times than she could count, all in the hope that the body would live on.
But hearing the words come from his mouth—hearing how easily he placed her life on the line—dragged into the open a truth she’d been subconsciously trying to ignore. She was no one to this world, just another blood cell moving through its veins. And she was certainly not anything to him.
1146 reached out, gently taking her hand in his. His other arm lifted, bracing against the apartment wall just behind her head.
3803’s thoughts froze.
His expression hadn’t shifted, his eyes steady, his mouth a firm line. “I would never ask you to do this if I didn’t think you could handle it,” he said. “I’d do it myself if I could. But right now, you’re the only one she’ll approach without bolting.”
3803 wanted to look away, but the calm certainty in his voice held her in place. 1146 paused, exhaling a quiet sigh. His gaze flicked aside for a heartbeat before returning to her just as quickly.
“Listen to me… you have to stay in the open. If she gets you alone, she will kill you.”
3803 didn’t respond. Her eyes drifted past him at the mention of her own death, landing on 0001—who was being stopped yet again by another red blood cell, cheerful and oblivious. She could see the parasite’s agitation was growing by the second.
Her stomach tightened. Then 1146’s hand guided her chin back toward him.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll be right behind you. I won’t let anything happen."
3803 held his gaze for a long moment before finally giving him a slow nod, her eyes settling into something resolute.
That was it—what else could she do? The look he gave her, paired with those words, left no room for argument. He spoke with such calm certainty, offering the sweet reassurances she’d long since learned to trust. Of all the cells, he had always been the one she believed in most. But just as she feared, she was once again the first to give.
1146 backed away, to her sudden discomfort, and his eyes dropped for the first time to the orange in her hand.
“What’s that? A vitamin?”
3803 looked down. “Vitamin C,” she said quietly.
“Good,” he replied. “Hang onto it. We may need it for an extra boost later.”
She’d never seen him wink before. It was barely a twitch, but it sent her heart into a tailspin. Maybe it was just her imagination seeing what it wanted, but he seemed more relaxed around her as of late.
Not that it mattered at the moment, as there was currently a flesh eating parasite waiting to kill her outside their hiding spot.
1146 camouflaged into the shadow of the doorway, giving 3803 a final encouraging nod in the direction of 0001.
3803 took a deep breath, then put one foot out and into the open. Her stride was brisk, purposeful—every muscle tense beneath her smile.
0001 spotted her immediately but didn’t react in any way that would arouse suspicion. She simply adjusted her pace and met 3803 by the delivery carts. Her features were forced, 3803 could tell now.
“Where did you go?” she asked. “And where’d you get that vitamin C?”
3803’s mind raced. She wasn't prepared to be immediately berated with questions. Her heart thudded in her ears, but she forced a casual tone.
“You dropped this during your delivery,” she said, holding up the orange. “I was going to return it to you, but you were already gone."
0001 stared at her, gaze steady and unreadable. Surely she knew. 1146 was right. 3803 felt the weight of it—like being scanned, dissected. But before the parasite could decide whether to press further, 3803 let out a bubbly laugh and looped her arm through her’s.
“Come on,” she chirped. “We’re done with the capillaries. Let’s grab some glucose with the others!"
0001 tilted her head slightly up at the taller girl. “I’d love to,” she said, “but I really need to visit the spleen first. There’s a red blood cell I was supposed to meet once I finished my deliveries.”
A red blood cell? 3803 was nervous. She didnt want to lead 0001 anywhere where she could get herself killed, but she also didn't want to give her the chance to meet up with anymore vulnerable blood cells for her to feast on.
Without thinking, 3803’s eyes darted to the doorway where 1146 had been. Empty. Just as she’d expected. 0001 followed her gaze almost immediately, then turned back with a stone-faced stare.
“Are you expecting someone too?"
3803’s breath caught.
“Nope!”
She said quickly, grabbing 0001’s arm even tighter as if the parasite would run from her if she thought otherwise.
“No harm in a detour. My senpai, AA5100, can wait a little while. I'll help you go find your friend.”
0001’s strained smile returned too suddenly to be believeable.
“Great.”
They headed toward the spleen, 3803 letting 0001 take the lead. The redhead tried reading the directions aloud, nearly getting them lost twice, and was far too embarrassed to start over. Still, it amazed 3803 how, in a single day, this foreign body had learned the layout better than she had in her entire life.
Speaking of which, 0001 had gone quiet. She no longer commented on the crowds of cells or the glucose and tea stands lining the vein walls. The silence was jarring, especially after her talkative, vivacious energy just hours earlier. 3803 knew better than to chalk it up to simple work‑day fatigue.
She was silent because her attention had fixed itself entirely on something else. Every so often, 3803 caught the girl watching her from the edge of her vision. She forced herself to feign ignorance, but the weight of that gaze clung to her like a shadow that refused to fall behind them.
As they moved, 3803 kept her eyes on the crowd, scanning every face, searching for any sign of 1146. Nothing. He was very good at his job indeed—she didn’t catch so much as a speck of white in the vast sea of red.
However, upon their arrival at the spleen, 3803 had taken the lead, and the atmosphere shifted. The low-pressure zone in the venous sinuses was chaotic—red blood cells were bumping into each other and voices were raised in confusion.
“What’s going on here?” 3803 frowned, inquiring of no one in particular.
One red blood cell farther ahead dropped his deliveries, the boxes scattering across the path. The crowd erupted, shouting over one another in a loud commotion that drowned out whatever was being said over the speakers.
At that same moment, she turned—only to realize 0001 was no longer behind her.
Her nerves spiked instantly. How could she have been so careless as to lose the deadly parasite 1146 had warned her to keep track of?
3803 spun in place, voice rising, and calling out as the crowd grew louder and louder.
“0001?! Hello?! Where did you go?!”
Her grip tightened around the vitamin C. She no longer held onto the hope that the girl would keep playing along with their innocent little act but for the life of her, she didn’t want to witness another red blood cell devoured whole.
A unified scream tore through the spleen at that moment. 3803’s stomach lurched as a golden‑brown liquid began seeping across the floor, thick and slow like syrup.
It had already attached itself to her boots. She tried to lift her foot, but it resisted. Another step, and the weight doubled. The goo clung to her, thickening with every attempt she made to pull free.
A drop of the same gel‑like substance landed on her nose. She wiped it away, confused—until a red blood cell beside her screamed and they both snapped their heads upward.
Above them on the ceiling, a distorted, parasitic version of 0001 clung like a spider—limbs elongated and skin veined with sickly black bulging blood. Her mouth was open, spewing mucus in large slimy ropes across the foundation of the cavity. The exits sealed shut with the mucus, and the walls pulsed as it hardened into a squishy, translucent dome.
The red blood cells inside were trapped—helpless, slipping and shouting in panic, and 3803 was one of them. Spinning in place, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted,
“White blood cell?!”
“1146?!”
But heard no reply, and if there was one, it would have been impossible to hear over the raised voices and blood curdling screams. She scanned the entire dome with wide eyes and trembling limbs. Every face mirrored the same truth: they were going to die.
Memories of the bone marrow surged back without warning—a small boy no bigger than a platelet, and herself, barely half that size, both standing before a monster capable of swallowing them whole.
Why was she thinking about that now? Maybe because this felt the same… except, she'd be facing it alone this time.
She looked up at 0001. The wicked grin twisting the girl's dilapidated face left 3803 wondering how any cell could still be alive inside the violent, disturbing creature staring back at her now.
1146 had been so brave when he fought off that germ to save her.
The little her.
The insignificant her.
The lost, scared, and shaking single red blood cell that the entire body wouldn’t have blinked twice at loosing.
Even back then, she meant something to him. Even if it was all just part of his job, even if he couldn’t recognize her from that time so long ago, she still believed she meant something to him.
Then where was he now?
The parasite hissed as it dropped toward her, quick like a spider descending from its web. 3803 tried to run, but her feet wouldn’t budge. The goo held her fast, and she struggled and slipped, falling to her bare knees and sinking even deeper into the substance around her. It seemed the harder she struggled, the stiffer it became.
In a last, desperate attempt to escape from this reality, maybe even shield herself from the pain she knew was inevitably coming, she turned and covered her head, squeezing her eyes shut.
For a heartbeat, everything went silent. All 3803 could hear were the faint gasps of nearby cells, presumably bracing themselves to watch her be eaten. Without warning, the loud bangs of footsteps approached. Someone was running toward her—or away, she couldn’t tell.
Was it a red blood cell trying to help? Hard to imagine. Most of them only ever ran. And how was it they managed to get around so quickly in all this goo?
But what followed snapped her thoughts into focus. The sound of a blade sliced through the air with a sharp WHOOSH, followed by something heavy slapping against the ground.
The parasite shrieked. 3803 clamped her hands over her ears as the high, piercing cry echoed through the dome, silencing every cell nearby.
She opened her eyes.
1146 stood between her and the monster. His back faced her, white uniform streaked with mucus and blood. He stood firm, boots planted atop the slime as if they had been designed to resist it entirely.
“You came,” she breathed, smiling through the fear. A deep wave of relief washed over her; part of her had refused not to trust him, and that part was now wholly satisfied. He always kept his word to the best of his ability. He always came for her. “T-Thank you! Thank you, White Blood Cell!”
He glanced over his shoulder to meet her eyes, about to respond—when his body suddenly jerked. He doubled over, convulsing, the knife slipping from his hand and dropping into the slime with a dull plop.
“W‑White Blood Cell?”
3803 reached out her jittering hand, terrified he’d been wounded, and placed it gently on his shoulder. It was solid and muscular beneath her palm, yet shaking like a leaf.
The parasite laughed, its severed limb already regrown, sinew knitting together in seconds.
“Ha! Should’ve gone for the head,” it cackled. “Now I’ll never let you get another shot!”
0001 pulled herself upward, climbing the mucus strands like a spider on silk.
3803’s eyes darted around the dome at other red blood cells who were splattered with hints of the parasites blood, and they too were shaking—twitching. Eyes wide and bodies stiffening.
A parasitic infection.
White blood cell said something to her about one before. In the bloodstream, parasites don’t just kill.
They colonize.
It was spreading To new hosts. Multiplying at the touch of its shed blood.
And 1146 just happened to be covered in it.
He suddenly jerked and twisted to look over his shoulder with a bloodthirsty expression she’d never seen directed at her.
His black irises were glazed over with a yellow film, like the little light illuminated behind them before, had now been snuffed out.
Purple veins began to sprout up the sides of his neck, pulsing with something foreign beneath the skin.
The parasite shrieked, “I thought you white blood cells were smart! You could’ve killed me by now—but you waited because you thought you could save this poor red blood cell I’m inhabiting, isn't that right? Well, you’re too late. She’s long gone now… just like all of you are about to be.”
3803 pulled her hand away from 1146’s shoulder and backed up as far as the sticky mucus would let her.
1146 advanced—fast. The same speed he used to hunt parasites.
His eyes were savage, locked on her like prey. She couldn’t imagine things getting worse, yet here she was—the one she thought would protect her now the enemy.
“Kill her. Kill them all!” the parasite shrieked, voice thick with mucus and malice.
“White Blood Cell… please… d‑don’t do this.” Her voice barely rose above a whisper as tears blurred her vision. 1146 was inches from her face now, teeth bared, jaw twitching as if he wanted to devour her whole.
Without thinking, she grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and using the only weapon she had—shoved it straight into his mouth as he went to lunge at her.
There was a strong citrus smell in her nose as the vitamin C penetrated between his teeth.
Just as quickly, his chalky yellow eyes returned to their usual pitch black, and locked with hers as she was cradled beneath him, trapped by the mucus and backed into a corner of the dome.
1146 shot up like a bullet, finishing the vitamin c whole, peel and all, in a matter of seconds. Without looking at her, he spoke quietly.
“Red blood cell I‑… I’m so sorry, It was not my intent to—whatever came over me—it was—”
He didn’t get to finish. A massive glob of mucus shot toward him, forcing him to duck as it splattered against the dome wall. 0001 watched the scene unfold, clearly just as confused as 3803 about 1146’s sudden change and the strange role the vitamin had played in it.
Pulling out two of his finest blades, 1146 turned toward the parasite clinging to the ceiling, his expression shifting into something lethal.
“You want to play dirty then, huh, germ?” he snapped.
0001 recoiled slightly, eyes narrowing at the tone in his voice.
Vitamin C: boosts white blood cell activity
and antioxidant defense against pathogens and parasitic infections. Found in citruses like bell peppers, kiwis, and oranges! 😊
1146 wiped the juice from his mouth, eyes fixed on the parasite. Then he lunged—silent, swift, merciless. He carved through the parasite and its host with surgical precision, skirting the edge of the mucus walls to keep the red blood cells out of danger.
Across the otherside of the dome, 3803 scavenged vitamin C from discarded nutrient baskets nearby, urging the others to get it to the infected. Everyone aside from 1146 was essentially glued to their spots, but one by one, red blood cells caught on—passing oranges, boosting immunity and doing whatever they could to save their infected comrades.
The dome suddenly fractured as neutrophils stormed in, everyone shouting and blades flashing as they joined 1146 in his brutal assault. But he hardly gave them a fair shot. Not when the air grew thick with the scent of iron. Not when his uniform ran red.
Only after the parasite lay unquestionably still—and after several failed attempts by his comrades to tell him it was already dead—did 1146 finally lower his blade.
Fortunately, every red blood cell caught in the chaos emerged unharmed, shaken perhaps, but safe, and they were given the rest of the day to recover their strength. The platelets, however, had their work cut out for them. For the next week they would be in the spleen, clearing away the stubborn remnants of mucus that clung to everything unless treated with the special solution woven into white blood cell uniforms, careful not to get stuck themselves.
And then, as the body tended to do, everything simply moved on. Cells returned to their steady rhythm as if the upheaval had been nothing more than a brief interruption. In the quiet that followed, 1146 and 3803 found themselves sitting side by side on a bench in the liver, steam rising from their cups of tea, talking quietly about all they had endured.
3803 thought that even 1146, with all his credibility, looked like just one tiny survivor sitting there in a world that rarely paused long enough to notice him. That was fine though, she noticed him, and she would congratulate him even if his humility prevented him from excepting it.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Really I can’t thank you enough for getting us out of that icky slime! Let me treat you sometime, whatever you like, it'll be on me!”
3803 had just as quickly started her ranting of gratitude, at which 1146 humbly asked her not to, as expected of him.
“That’s…you dont need to thank me for that, really,"
He paused. 3803 wanted to stop him there. Here it came, the words she had been dreading more and more lately. Why did he always have to end her praise with 'just doing my job?' For once, a simple thanks would have meant more to her than another reminder that she was nothing but an obstacle in a never‑ending cycle of work for him.
"...and I appreciate your hospitality, but I should be the one treating you.”
3803 slowed as she lifted her tea, her lips not quite reaching the cup before she pulled away. What did he say? He was thanking her? She looked up at him, puzzled.
“Me? What for? Us red blood cells just sat there helpless while you white blood cells did all the work.”
She leaned over and bumped his shoulder with a small grin.
“You don’t need to thank me for that, but I appreciate the hospitality.”
1146 sighed and looked straight ahead at the passing cells of several kinds. 3803’s smile faded as she realized something else was weighing on him, something he wasn’t saying. So she waited quietly, hoping he would share it.
“3803…I almost ki--...caused you harm.”
He said it in a steady tone, but his eyes revealed guilt and anger sewn in one.
“If it hadn’t been for your quick thinking, I might have.”
She had yet to remember it that way, so caught up on simply being greatful to be alive. But still, she wouldn’t have had the chance to save him, nor the reason, if he hadn’t thrown himself in front of her to shield her from the parasite while she was trapped.
“1146—”
She started, but he somehow gently cut her off. It was unfair how easily he had that effect on her. She was absolutely powerless against it.
“I put you in that situation in the first place. And I’m sorry I didn’t come to your aid sooner. I thought I could save a life that was already gone by prolonging the threat, and… obviously I was wrong.”
3803 thought she might finally get the chance to comfort him, but he continued.
“I guess I’m still learning how not to be so sensitive to every cell I come across in this body. This is the way of our world after all.”
He fiddled with the cup in his lap, tapping it lightly against the bench as the green liquid swished inside. Then sighed, holding it steady
“What I’m trying to say is… you don’t owe me anything. If anything, I’m the one who should be grateful.”
He finally let his gaze meet hers. Those steady, searching golden eyes that had been on him from the moment he started speaking. Something softened in his expression, a quiet pride flickering there as if he’d finally found the courage to say what he meant.
“So,” he finished, voice low but certain, “thank you.” He rested his chin in the palm of his hand and stared back at her. 3803 immediately flushed with embarrassment.
“Haha... yeah… ah— I mean! Thank you for thinking me! Thanking! I meant thanking me! Ha-ha-ha! I really... er... appreciate it!”
1146 watched her stumble over her words, the corners of his mouth lifting as he tried to hide his amusement. When 3803 finally realized he wasn’t taking her flustered rambling seriously at all, and heard just how awkward her own voice sounded, she groaned and covered her face, her cheeks now matching the exact shade of her uniform.
(How I imagined this scene in my head.♥️)
“But hey!” she blurted, eager to smother the conversation before it wandered somewhere more awkward. “Vitamin C—who knew that was its weakness, right?”
1146 took a slow sip of his tea, eyes drifting toward the bustling current of red and white blood cells rushing past them.
3803 knew he was thinking it was about time to get back out there. To catch up with this busy world once again. No doubt, the moment the germ detector on his hat went off, it'd be who knows when till she saw him again.
“Sure is strange,” he murmured.
“Yup.”
“….”
Silence settled between them—not the awkward kind that made other vessels fidget, but a rare, welcomed pause. A tiny pocket of calm in the endless circulation.
“AE3803!”
It didn’t last though. Her friend’s voice cut across the vessel like a snapped artery, shattering the fragile peace 1146 and 3803 had managed.
3803 turned just in time to see 5100 speed walking toward her, brow twitching in a way that did not look kind.
“Hey! You totally bailed on me! We were supposed to get glucose cones, remember?"
3803 stammered, trying to find the words to explain her eventful day—the parasite, the fight, the vitamin c, and White Blood Cell of course, who she always seemed to run into no matter what their daily lives looked like—but she hardly had the chance. 5100 was already tugging her up from the bench beside 1146, grabbing her arm and dragging her toward the dessert section.
“Wait—hold on one second!” 3803 called, twisting free from her friend and jogging back toward him.
1146 looked up at her with his dark, wide eyes attentively but said nothing.
Now that she was actually standing in front of him again, her mind went blank. She swallowed, gaze darting away from his stare and landing instead on the half‑finished cup of tea in his hand.
“Um—I have to go,” she managed, breath catching in her throat. “But… I hope we run into each other again.”
A nervous smile tugged at her lips, and she had no idea why she felt compelled to say something so bold.
1146’s expression held still for a beat—then it softened.
“Don’t we always?”
Heat bloomed across her cheeks. She nodded, then hurried back to her Senpai, though her thoughts stayed behind on that little bench.
They hadn’t made it far when his voice cut cleanly through the flow of the vessel.
“Hey, Red blood cell! Catch!”
Both girls turned just as a bright orange blur soared through the air. 3803 caught it instinctively—a perfectly round ball of vitamin C.
She blinked down at it, then back up at him, confusion flickering across her face.
1146 lifted his cup in a small salute, tugging the rim of his hat low enough to shadow his eyes.
“Just in case I run into any more parasites."
He grinned—sharp, pearly teeth flashing, so unlike his usual stoic calm that it sent a jolt straight through her.
3803s heart fluttered wildly. A smile crept across her face as she clutched the vitamin to her chest.
That familiar rush of adrenaline surged through her, one she knew if she didn’t act on, would slip away like every other.
She jogged back up to him, reached up, and let her fingers brush his jaw before pressing a soft peck to his cheek. Quick, but unmistakably deliberate.
“Don’t worry,” she called as she backed away, voice light and steady. “You can count on me!”
5100 wore a telling smirk as she beckoned with polite impatience at the younger red blood cell to finally rejoin her.
Even so, 3803 walked backward for several steps alongside her friend, turning just long enough to catch his stare—and waved as though she meant every word.
The red blood cells were out of sight by the time 1146 blinked, hand almost tipping his cup of tea before straightening. He cleared his throat and tugged at his collar as if it had tightened.
“…Right,” he muttered, despite 3803 being too far gone to hear.
He stretched back on the bench and crossed his arms, but the pink tint, obvious on his pale cheeks, betrayed his calm demeanor.