[POI Doujin] In the Perfect World

The most hated place in Harold Finch's life, the hospital must be in the top three.No matter how tidy and tasteful the decoration is, Finch still feels uncomfortable in the hospital.The ubiquitous faint smell of disinfectant in the air, and the slight bloody smell that should not actually exist linger around Finch, together with the beeping sound of various medical instruments, and the rubbing sound of the rollers and the ground when the hospital bed moves , and even the footsteps of the medical staff's soft-soled shoes mixed together, forming a depressive atmosphere as if an invisible hand was tightly grasping his neckline and heart, making him feel almost suffocated.

Under such circumstances, Finch's mood would not be much better, but the dizziness in the morning did happen, and even if he didn't care about it, Nathan couldn't let him do it.

"Okay, Nathan, I've had my blood pressure measured, EKG, chest X-ray, abdominal ultrasound, brain CT, and several test tubes of blood drawn, which machine are you going to put me in next? Oh, oral cavity Do you need an examination?" Finch sat on the sofa in the VIP room of the hospital, staring at the busy silver-gray figure beside him, complaining angrily.

In fact, Finch is still very grateful to his friends for their concern for him. Nathan immediately sent the dizzy Finch to the New York General Hospital. Using his extensive social connections and excellent communication skills, Nathan quickly arranged for Finch to undergo various physical examinations immediately, and even in his busy schedule I didn't forget to call Grace.However, Nathan's excessive nervousness also made Finch a little unbearable. Seeing the two of them running around all the examination rooms in the hospital.The only consolation is that in addition to the blood test report that has not yet been obtained, the existing test results show that Finch's body is still healthy, especially the Alzheimer's disease that Finch has been secretly worried about. There are signs of shrinkage, and Finch's previous worries are obviously unfounded.

Nathan completely ignored Finch's complaints. He was busy discussing with the neurology doctor whether there was a need for further PET examinations. Fortunately, the doctor dispelled his thoughts with a professional and precise discussion, and made Finch relax a little. tone.

Nathan ended his conversation with the doctor with a polite smile and walked back towards Finch.The sunlight from the west came in from the floor-to-ceiling windows of the VIP room and fell on his clothes and hair.The fabric of the worsted wool and silk suit refracted slightly, and the light caught Finch's eyes, and gradually transformed into a scene that horrified him: dim light, shaking figures, black suit jacket soaked in blood, red Blood splattered from the cuffs of the snow-white shirt.Who is hurt?Who caught the body that was about to fall?Why is the smell of blood so real... as if right up the nose?

Finch looked down blankly, hands spread across his lap.The palm of my hand is clean and tidy, I just washed it ten minutes ago, but why do I feel that my hand is covered with sticky blood, and the blood still carries the residual body temperature of someone?

Finch stared blankly at his hands, as if he could find some blood stains in the lines of his palms.Maybe it was because his expression was too heavy, Nathan hurried back to his side, bent down and asked nervously: "Harold, what's the matter? Is there something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine!" Finch raised his head abruptly as if frightened. It may be that the action was too intense, and there was a sudden sharp pain at the junction of the cervical spine, like thousands of thin needles piercing the central nervous system, and the paralysis like electric current came from His spine quickly spread across his entire back.The pain came so suddenly and so intensely that Finch was caught off guard and a groan escaped from his lips.

"Harold, damn it, what disease are you hiding from me!" Nathan stretched out his arms to wrap around the trembling Finch, and called out to the doctor outside the door regardless of his appearance, "Come on, someone needs first aid here! "

Finch gripped Nathan's shoulder tightly, he needed all his willpower to resist the sudden pain and keep his consciousness clear, "It's just neuralgia, Nathan, I'm fine, don't worry." Finch tried to comfort A dear friend who is visibly anxious.Cold sweat rolled down his forehead, somewhat blurring his vision, but Nathan's warm palm and concerned eyes gave him a lot of courage to resist the pain.

The doctor arrived quickly and together with Nathan supported Finch.The young female doctor had a dark complexion, her long hair was tied behind her head in a bun, and she moved swiftly.She examined Finch briefly and asked, "Has anything like this happened before?"

Finch didn't dare to hide it, and replied honestly: "I had a similar pain at breakfast today, and it also spread from the cervical spine to the entire spine, but it didn't last as long as this time." Nathan next to him glared at him angrily, obviously Very dissatisfied with Finch's concealment.

The female doctor pondered for a while, stretched out her hand to press Finch's head and neck, but withdrew it again, "Is there any abnormality in other parts of the body while the pain is there?"

The initial sharp pain has receded, and the persistent dull pain is continuous. This pain is not serious for Finch who has regained his self-control, so he can focus on examining his whole body. "There is some numbness in the right leg," Finch said. Trying to stand up, "I can't use the strength, but there is no obvious pain."

The female doctor nodded, "It may be a kind of cervical spondylosis. At your age and working at a desk for a long time, you are prone to cervical spondylosis."

"Is there any way to quickly diagnose it?" Nathan helped Finch up and asked with a serious expression.

"Let's take a neck X-ray." The female doctor pushed a wheelchair.

Finch was sitting on the bed in the consultation room. The female doctor in front of the bed was reviewing the newly taken X-rays on the computer screen, while Nathan was shut out by the stubborn doctor.

"Well, according to the X-rays, there are bony spurs in the uncinate vertebral joints and slight displacement of the intervertebral joints. It should be that they stimulate and compress the spinal nerve roots, causing pain." The female doctor walked up to Finch and held him Grabbing his neck, ordered: "Lean your head forward, then turn it left and right."

Finch tried as she instructed, gasping as the pain in his neck made him gasp.

"It seems that my judgment is right." The doctor let go of his hand and took a step back, "If you are worried, we can do another MRI examination."

Finch smiled wryly. If possible, he wouldn't want to stay longer in the hospital, "I think I've done enough tests today."

"Well, it's not necessary anyway, I just want to confirm again." The doctor didn't insist. "According to the current situation, it can be determined that you have cervical spondylosis of the nerve root type, and traction therapy can generally obtain obvious curative effects. But since your pain was so severe when you developed the disease, I suggest that you simply go to the hospital for surgery."

Finch frowned, either way it meant he'd be dealing with the hospital for a while, which wasn't something he liked.

Seeing that Finch was hesitant, the female doctor did not urge her, "You can think about it for a few days before making a decision, and you are not in a hurry. Usually, if you have pain, you can use gentle massage to relieve it. Remember not to use too much force. In addition, please reduce the hours of desk work, so as not to aggravate the condition."

Finch nodded in agreement, got up and was about to leave, but remembered something important, "Doctor, will my cervical spondylosis cause nightmares or hallucinations?"

The female doctor frowned, "Cervical spinal nerves have been compressed for a long time. From clinical practice, the situation you mentioned rarely occurs, because the spinal nerves dominate the trunk and limbs. However, because they are connected to the cranial nerves, and the body Discomfort can easily lead to a decline in sleep quality, and it is not impossible to have the symptoms you mentioned. Pay attention to increasing the rest time, relax your nerves, and don't think too much, it should be able to effectively improve this situation."

Finch closed his eyes slightly, and heaved a long sigh of relief. The question that had troubled him for several months finally got a definite answer.It doesn't matter if there is something wrong with my mental state. Now that I have found the root cause of the disease, there is hope for a cure.Thinking of being able to get rid of the entanglement of strange dreams, Finch began to feel relaxed, "Dr. Tillman, I will contact you as soon as possible to confirm the treatment time and plan." His eyes swept over the name tag on the female doctor's chest, Megan Tillman, he just I only knew the doctor's name by accidental glimpse just now, not imagination, not hallucination, and it is impossible to predict the ability.

Don't overthink it, Finch told himself.Pushing the door open, he was greeted by Nathan's bright smiling face outside.

When Nathan sent Finch home, New York was already full of lights. Finch pushed open the car door, and saw two figures, one large and one small, cuddled together in front of the porch above the steps, waiting for his return.

The light from the street lamps shone coldly on the street, but the yellow light from the slightly open door and window behind Grace and Machine dispelled the coldness, and made Finch feel sincere warmth in his heart.The light and shadow reflected Grace's still graceful body, her red hair was draped softly behind her head, her blue eyes had been watching Finch tenderly since she got off the car, and there was a quiet smile on the corner of her mouth. Grace put her hands on the shoulders of Machine in front of her, and the girl stood there obediently, gazing at her father just like her mother.

Finch stood at the bottom of the steps, staring at his beloved wife and young daughter above, his heart filled with peace and happiness.Maybe he stared at it for too long, Nathan beside him couldn't help pushing him, "Don't be dazed, go in!"

"Nathan, come have dinner with us~" Finch grabbed his friend who was about to leave.

"No, that damn boy Will is already waiting for me at home. Although I was quite drunk last night, I still remember that he promised to bake me sourdough waffles with smoked sausage today. You know, Will is good at I don’t want to miss out on the dishes you have here.” Nathan smiled blindly, mentioning his “biggest pride in life”—son, this well-known academic figure always looks so proud.

Hearing what Nathan said, Finch was embarrassed to continue to speak out to persuade him to stay, disturbing the rare family dinner of the busy father and son, which is not what an old friend who has been with him for decades should do.He stepped forward and hugged his friend vigorously to express his inner gratitude. Nathan didn't say much, patted Finch on the back, turned around and drove away.

Finch walked up the steps slowly, wrapping his arms around Grace and Machine.The red-haired beauty was nestled in his arms, and Finch could clearly smell the faint fragrance from her hair.The well-behaved daughter Machine hugged her father's arm, her little face sticking to it and kept dawdling.

Finch closed his eyes and apologized softly to the two in his arms, "Sorry for making you worry."

Grace carefully prepared a rich and delicious dinner, especially the bacon vegetable wrap and saffron seafood risotto, which were very suitable for Finch's taste today.Of course, the most important thing is that Finch's long-standing heart disease has been solved, and his appetite will naturally improve when he is in a happy mood.

After dinner, it's routine time for family affection. Machine excuses that he still hasn't finished his homework, so he hides in his room early, leaving space for his parents and adults to enjoy the two-person world. Finch and Grace sat on the sofa in the living room, chatting and flipping through the photo album.

"Harold, do you remember when we took this photo?" Grace asked enthusiastically, pointing to a photo of the two of them in the album.In the photo, the two stood at the gate of the Guggenheim Museum, fingers clasped together, with sweet smiles on their faces.

Finch put his arms around Grace's shoulders, "Of course, this is the first time we have celebrated your birthday since we met. I arranged a treasure hunt for you, and the end of the game was the museum." He turned his head and thought, "The museum was Included is Giorgio de Chirico's red tower, your favorite. The curator is the father of one of my students, and he allowed us to enter the museum to see that painting after closing, the day before it was put on public display."

"And that's exactly one hundred days since we've known each other." Grace added, "Harold, you are the most wonderful person I've ever known, always bringing me countless surprises." She moved closer to Finch's cheek, rubbing softly with his breath. over his skin.

"Surprise, are you sure it's not a shock?" Finch teased, wrapping his fingers around Grace's red hair.

Grace giggled, "Harold, are you referring to the time we first met on the Brooklyn Heights promenade? I was really taken aback when you showed up in front of me with two cones in the cold weather of January." "She flipped through the pages of the photo album, "This is the photo we took on the day you proposed to me, these are photos of our honeymoon in Italy and Austria, oh ~ this is the photo Nathan took for our family of three the day after Machine was born A group photo of..."

Finch smiled and accompanied Grace to look through the photos. The past came to mind one by one with these photos, and all the joy, happiness and satisfaction poured into his heart.This is his life, everything is so perfect, so flawless, all the bad luck seems to be cut off from him.

So good...as if it were an illusion...an inexplicable shadow came over Finch's heart, and he shook his head vigorously trying to get rid of this weird emotion.Don't think about it, he tried to warn himself.

Grace was unaware of Finch's strangeness, she was still pointing and commenting on each photo with great interest, "Harold, this is a group photo of our family on the sightseeing platform of the World Trade Center on Machine's tenth birthday."

"What did you say?" Grace's simple statement accidentally touched Finch's nerves, pulling him back from his delusions to reality.

Grace glanced at him in surprise, "What happened to the photo of our family on the 107th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center, on Machine's tenth birthday?"

Finch sat up straight suddenly, holding Grace's arm tightly, "World Trade Center? How is that possible! This happened a few years ago?"

"Four, four years ago...Harold, what happened to you?" Grace looked at her husband in horror.

"Four years ago...no, the Twin Towers fell down before you and I knew each other...I remember it very well!" Finch muttered absently.Something was wrong, he could clearly remember the scene of two planes crashing into the Twin Towers one after another, the explosion and flames, the glass and metal debris scattered all over the sky, passers-by screaming in horror and running away, and the collapsed skyscrapers.The raised dust covered the sky and filled the streets of Lower Manhattan, and it would not disperse for a long time.He can even vividly remember standing on the streets of New York, feeling the remaining particles in the air with every breath.

The memory is so real, Finch can't ignore its existence, can't believe it's all imaginary.

Grace seemed to be terrified, her beautiful eyes filled with tears, "Harold, you hurt me... The World Trade Center, it's always been there, how could it collapse?"

Finch let go of Grace.Yes, obviously there are photos to prove that his memory is obviously wrong, but there is a voice in his heart that tells him repeatedly, this is not right, everything is not right.

Finch stood up suddenly, grabbed the coat from the back of the chair and rushed out of the house.Even though Grace shouted desperately behind him, she didn't stop.

Finch flagged down a taxi and hurried into the car, "GroundZero, please hurry up, thank you!"

The driver turned to look at him in surprise, "Sir, where are you going?"

"Ground Zero," Finch came to his senses, "World Trade Center, thanks!"

The taxi was speeding on the streets of Manhattan, and the lights on both sides flickered on the windows, reflecting bizarre images. Finch stared out the window blankly, but he had no interest in watching the night view of the city at all.His mind was in turmoil, because he didn't know what he was looking for, what to expect, whether the result he hoped for was to expose a lie or prove himself wrong.

The taxi quickly arrived at the destination, and the truth stood before him. Finch stood on the side of the street, looking up at the two towering buildings in front of him, feeling at a loss.

What happened to me?Hallucinations are so different from memories, and it's impossible for him to confuse the two.The memory of the collapse of the Twin Towers is clear and distinct, which is completely different from the blurred hallucinations that I had before.What happened to me?

The distraught Finch looked around at the flow of people passing by, full of panic.Is all this true?Is the current self real or is it just a dream?

"Harold, I've been looking for you for a long time, why don't you answer the phone?" Nathan's familiar voice came from behind Finch, like a floating beam in a raging flood, and saved Finch who was about to be wiped out in time.

TBC