Interlude 23 This is no longer a simple case of memory loss (Part 1).
At this moment, Sukako Toto-kun, a boy of about 20 years of age and of plain appearance, was on his way to see a familiar acquaintance, who had recently contacted him because she knew that he was a psychology student with practical assistance at Kyoto University.
According to what she had told him, there was a person in his house, his grandfather, who lately was having zero effect to the pills he had been sent for memory loss due to old age, arguing that it could possibly be something else.
Tototo-kun, being the good boy that he was, took the forms from the psychologist he worked for, and with his permission came to visit his distant cousin to help her with the present situation, and if necessary, to confirm that grandfather should be hospitalized in the psychiatric ward.
Tototo-kun walked through the streets near Tokyo Tower, into the real estate around the train station, and finally saw the sign “Kyoto Technology Shop” which was the place his cousin and grandfather attended, while living on the second floor of the shop.
Tototo-kun arrived and entered the store.
There he saw no one but an old man behind the counter.
‘This should be the old man.’
Toto-kun smiled politely and came in front of the frail, quiet, serious-looking old man.
“Excuse me, I’m bus-….”
“No.”
“Huh?” Tototo-kun blinked, but a little quizzically, he repeated, “…. I’m looking for a family member who calls me-….. Ah, Shinonome-san!”
The girl who had sold Alexander the phones, walked out the door of the store and noticed Tototo-kun, “Cousin!”
They greeted each other, and then the girl introduced her grandfather, “This is my grandfather, cousin, he’s the one I called you about.”
“I see, nice to meet you, Shinonome-san.”
“Hmph.”
The old man just went about reading his magazine of busty teenage girls.
“…”
“Haaa…. you see, cousin, it’s been like this for months now…”
Tototo-kun nodded and thought that from the old man’s attitude, apparently the symptoms were not simply memory loss, perhaps even mild schizophrenia would appear from time to time, as well as bipolar.
…..
After greeting each other, the girl invited Tototo-kun into the house on the second floor, and while she started cooking, Tototo-kun was sitting in the living room in front of the old man.
Tototo-kun took out some papers, and a pencil to write down, “So, Shinonome-san, before the actual test, I’ll ask you some simple introductory questions.”
The old man was quiet, his face unconcerned, and he nodded to Tototo-kun.
“Can you tell me your name?”
“My name is Urashima Taro.”
“…” Toto-kun sweated a little, “Shinonome-san, I need you to be honest when answering the questions… because otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to fill out the form with false data, okay?”
“All right.” The old man was unconcerned.
“Good… then, can you tell me your name, your real name?”
“My name is Shinonome Goku.”
“…”
‘I can see this is getting difficult…. ‘it’s not simply memory loss… the patient seems to be a bit detached from reality.’
With a sigh, Toto-kun wrote the note on the paper.
“Okay, Shinonome-san, I will repeat the question again, but this time you must answer correctly, understood?”
“No problem.” The old man wiped his ears with a bored face.
“…Can you tell me your name, the one on your identity certificate?”
“My name is Shinonome Goku.”
“…” A bead of sweat ran down Toto-kun’s forehead.
‘Sigh… I’m already feeling tired…’
“Shinonome-san, I need your real name, not the name of an Anime character, please, I need your cooperation on this.”
With a bored expression, the old man reached into his pocket and after a few seconds pulled out an ID and showed it to Tototo-kun, it said, “Shinonome Goku” and had the old man’s picture on it.
“…”
A few seconds passed.
“W-Well… let’s continue.”
The old man, indifferent, nodded.
“Can you tell me what city we’re in and what year?”
“All right.”
The old man replied calmly and relaxed.
“…” A few more beads of sweat gathered on Tototo-kun’s forehead.
Okay, this was no longer a simple memory loss or regular Amnesia….
‘The patient seems to have a severe case of reality distortion, and it’s not just a normal memory loss, maybe it could be some kind of brain failure due to old age, but we can’t be sure yet, more concordant tests are needed…’
Tototo-kun noted on the papers with a stiff hand.
At that moment, the girl came in with some drinks and set them down on the table while with a smile she asked her grandfather, “So, are you having fun, Oji-chan?”
With a poker face, the old man said, “Yes, I’m having fun.”
‘You’re not having fun at all!’
Tototo-kun added mentally in despair.
“That’s good, Ojii-chan, I remember that cousin is helping you in something very important, so you have to cooperate very actively, okay?”
The old man nodded.
“So, are you liking the consultation with cousin?”
With a completely flat face, the old man replied, “Yes, I’m liking it very much.”
‘You’re not liking it!’
“Well, then I’ll leave you two, I should get back to cooking.”
The girl left and Tototo-kun and the old man looked at each other.
“…”
“W-well… let’s go on, ahem, could you tell me the name of your first son or daughter?”
“My first son’s name is Shinonome Gohan.”
“…”
If your son’s name is that, then what’s next?
Your dad’s name was Bardock?
Please!
“By the way.”
“Yes?” Tototo-kun asked with doubt as to why suddenly the old man was calling him.
The old man had a strange expression on his face, “That girl now, who was she?”
“…”
Toto-kun looked up at the ceiling, took a deep breath, then picked up the pencil and began to write on the psychological report paper.
‘The patient presents a severe case of advanced dementia, so there is no need for a psychological test in the first place, and in my pure professional opinion, requires psychiatric hospitalisation… signature, Sukako Toto, psychology student with practical assistance from Kyoto University.’
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