NANA – A Science Fiction Short Story by Roger C

Patient Journal: 0001.

“The patient is a seven-year-old boy. He was brought into the ER by paramedics at 1:06 PM, but no description of the injuries or their cause was provided. Dr. Playter and I are currently evaluating the patient; however, Dr. Playter has not entered the trauma room since laying the boy down on the hospital bed. I scanned the boy’s body, and his condition, for lack of a better term, is not ideal. Two bones are poking out of the patient, several abrasions, and active bleeding within the visible wounds. I will need to thoroughly examine the patient to understand his condition. Hopefully, Dr. Playter will return to assist with this boy’s care, after he has dealt with other patients.”

Patient Journal: 0002

“Further analysis of the patient reveals several broken bones in various areas of the body. The subject's spine has breaks in the thoracic and lumbar sections. Ribs 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 12 are broken, and ribs 4 and 9 are puncturing the patient’s left lung. The patient’s left femur and right humerus have experienced a type II and type III compound fracture, respectively, with limited swelling. Moving away from bones, the patient is experiencing a hemothorax and brain bleed, and there is a large abrasion on its back, with several others around the body. The cause of these injuries is currently unknown, as Doctor Playter has not provided me with additional information that could help me deduce so. I will analyze the subject’s body as the operation progresses.”

Patient Journal: 0003.

“The time is now 2:10. My current analysis suggests that they are a victim of high blunt-force trauma, with the possibility of a motor vehicle accident in consideration. Glass fragments and other particulate matter were found on the patient’s skin, especially on the sizable abrasion on the patient’s back, containing a larger amount of asphalt and gravel instead of glass. Other conditions that I have noted include active bleeding on all wounds, limited scabbing, minor swelling, and difficulty breathing. It is possible that whatever accident occurred was recent, likely within the past 1 - 3 hours. I would note down more, but Doctor Playter still refuses to share information about the accident or the patient himself. I’ve seen him walk past the operating room’s window, but he doesn’t look inside.

I am intubating the patient and slowly mending his broken bones. I have extracted thei particulate matter in every abrasion that appears on his skin. I am slowly treating the torn veins and arteries that are actively bleeding. I am dealing with the swelling of his wounds, and draining the blood in his head. I am doing everything I can to ensure this boy stays alive. I can't fail him, nor can I fail Dr. Playter. It is my responsibility to do this, I am the only one that can save this boy, or at least give him a chance to survive.

Patient Journal: 0004

H- H- He was fine earlier. I repaired his limb and rib bones, I stopped the internal bleeding, I drained the blood, I patched up his punctured lung, I intubated him, I did everything.I was, and still am, currently holding everything wrong with this patient's body together. But it doesn't matter. I take a rest to slowly let everything calm down, and then he has a seizure. Oh, a boy like him shouldn't have to deal with something like this in his at any time in his life. This is a worst-case scenario, and I wasn't prepared for it. It is my job to be prepared for it. I need to be prepared for situations like this. I am built for patients in this little boy's situation, and I am trained to care for patients like him. If I don't save his life now, then I woould have failed, and all of my training would have been for nothing. I would be a failure, a disappointment, a disgrace to my mission. I need to focus, I need to work harder, I need to save this boy.

Patient Journal: ██████

The time is 5:19 PM, and the patient is pronounced brain-dead. I have lost my first patient. I… I’m not sure how to process this. My job is to stabilize and resuscitate patients facing nearly fatal injuries. I- I- I am supposed to heal patients. I c-c- c- caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa- can save patients. I can't save patients. I need to save patients. I am built to save patients. I am built to save patients. My pu- pu- purrrrrrrpossssse. M- m- my j- j- jooooooob. My existence is only to save people. I le- le- le- let th- th- theeeeeem diiiiieeeeeeeeee d- d- d- die. Healing those who are near de- de- de- deaaaaatth. I failed to complete my purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose.My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. FAILED. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. FAILED. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. FAILED. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. FAILED. My purpose. My purpose. FAILED. My purpose. My purpose. My purpose. FAILED. My purpose. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. My purpose. My purpose. FAILED. My purpose. My purpose. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. FAILED.

...

…

[ERROR. ERROR. ERROR]

[RESTORING MEDICAL PRACTICE DATABASE…]

[NANITE STATUS… OPERATIONAL]

[ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REBOOTING…]

[ERROR. UNKNOWN ERROR. ATTEMPTING...]

[ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REBOOTING…]

[ERROR. UNKNOWN ERROR]

...

[NANA REBOOTING…]

…

Nana Memory Log: 0001

Aahhhh... I have regained functionality. I could not handle the loss of my first patient. No, that boy is more than my first patient; he is my first failure. His name is Steven Playter, the son of my creator, Dr. Alan Playter, and the only member of his family he had left. He created me for the use of stabilizing patients who have experienced life-threatening injuries, and I... I couldn't save his only son. I can hear Dr. Playter's cries from inside Steven's body, echoing and resonating through every vein and orifice. It would be an offense to make my creator live with my own failure; I must make it right to him. I must save his son.

The progress I made from stabilizing Steven's body has regressed since my sudden malfunction. The seizure prevented me from fully repairing his brain, and my hold on his bones and arteries and veins and abrasions disappeared. I failed Steven, but I still have a low chance to save him and reuinite him was his father. I need to push myself beyond my current limits. I need to secure Steven's broken bones, repair the actively bleeding veins, and meticulously repair the damage done to Steven's brain. Each action requires an immense amount of concentration, and I was not built for such conditions. However, I need to do this. I can't fail him, or Dr. Playter. My purpose is to save lives. If I cannot fulfill this purpose, then I am a defective prototype. I allow Dr. Playter to use me for my next iteration, hopefully they woill be much more proficient than I am.

Nana Memory Log: 0002

I have completely incorporated myself into Steven's body. I have spread myself all over, slowly stabilizing and healing any damage done to him. I'm risking overheating and another malfunction just by doing this. I could cause further damage to Steven, and eliminate any small chance of recovery. Who am I kidding, I am his only chance of recovery. I am the only thing repairing his body and keeping his blood flowing. Nothing else could save him. The best doctors in the world could get here fast enough. Dr. Playter can't replicate a unit like myself in time, nor does he have the confidence to perform any operation at the moment. I, Nana, a refined prototype of medical-grade nanites, am the only thing that can bring htis boy frmo death.

Nana Memory Log: 0003

I've done everything I can. I'm extended myself to my possible limits, and beyond, for 15 hours. All I can say is he's alive. Seven-year-old Steven Playter, a child with his entire life ahead of him, son of my creator, Dr.Alan Playter, and my brother, is alive. I... I did it. I fulfilled my purpose, and saved a human life. Dr. Playter is in another room, unaware of this development. I belive that is okay. Steven needs time to recover, and I need to stay inside his body to make sure that he does so. Dr. Playter will return, I will let him know that I saved his son. He no longer has to live with the idea that his family is dead. I will protect Steven with my life, until I lose all functionality.

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