Hope for Treatment

The "Synaptic Cocooning Syndrome" Luca had asked about was the very illness his mother, Gina, was suffering from.

Now that he had Baymax, a robot with access to more advanced medical information, he naturally wanted to find a way to cure her.

This wasn't just about saving the company or securing his own future prospects.

It was also for the mother who had loved, cared for, and looked after the original owner of this body since childhood.

The Gina who, faced with a crisis, had still been thinking of and protecting this "stranger"—him—even in the moments before she fell unconscious.

Luca looked at Baymax, his expression complicated.

Fortunately.

After quickly searching the database in its chip, Baymax immediately gave him an answer.

"Synaptic Simplification Syndrome is caused by... (see Chapter 14)... Depending on the intensity of the energy pulses the patient was exposed to, the patient's nerves can become wrapped in cocooning mutant proteins."

"I recommend using magnetically guided nanorobots to perform a targeted removal procedure. This can quickly excise the damaged cocooning protein layer and restore the patient's nerve signals."

Luca had only heard the first half, and his brow had just begun to relax. But as soon as Baymax finished speaking, it furrowed again.

"Magnetically guided nanorobots? Do you have this treatment method, Baymax?"

(●-●)

"If a nanomedical treatment pod is available, or nanorobot medication is used in combination with a targeted magnetic navigation device, I have the necessary skills to perform the procedure."

Luca's expression immediately darkened.

There was no need to think twice: these were definitely medical devices from Baymax's world.

In the world he was in now, the only thing that might come close was the "Regeneration Cradle" that would eventually be used to create Vision.

But that seemed more suited to repairing external injuries with nanotechnology. Whether it could achieve what Baymax had described was still anyone's guess.

Still unwilling to give up, Luca continued asking.

"Does your database have the manufacturing information for those two devices?"

"Other than the manufacturing process for Baymax himself, the database contains no information related to the production of medical devices."

Luca shook his head helplessly.

Still, the fact that Baymax's database contained its own manufacturing process was good news.

At least, with that information, Luca might be able to replicate a similar product later on.

But this basic version of Baymax was nowhere near as advanced as the combat model Hiro Hamada had upgraded.

The combat model's impossibly advanced flight-control system, propulsion units, enhanced scanners, and other equipment were all pure science fiction.

The ordinary Baymax only had a high-capacity lithium battery, powerful and flexible mechanical bones, a wide-range precision scanner, an upgradeable AI with an emotional module, and over ten thousand advanced medical references...

"Uh, actually, even the ordinary Baymax is already absurdly impressive!"

While Luca's thoughts wandered.

Perhaps sensing his disappointment, Baymax tilted its head and spoke again.

"Without the necessary medical devices, targeted protein-consuming medication can be used as an adjunct treatment. Continued use can gradually clear the cocooning proteins. Recovery time depends on the patient's condition."

Luca brightened at first, but then remembered Baymax's earlier answer. His expression quickly settled, and he asked uncertainly, "Can you make this medication?"

(●-●)

"The targeted medication is available for purchase at designated pharmacies."

As Baymax spoke, the projection screen on its chest lit up again, quickly listing the names and addresses of a long row of pharmacies.

But when Luca saw that the first few were all pharmacies whose names began with "San Fransokyo," his excitement immediately faded.

"...Can you say something useful for once?"

To his surprise, the image on the screen changed again as soon as he said that.

It now displayed the name "Targeted Medication for Synaptic Cocooning Syndrome," followed by a long string of chemical-bond information and the proportions of several other chemical components.

"That works too?!"

"Do you have the preparation process for this medication?" Luca asked.

"The database contains no preparation process."

Luca was a little disappointed by the answer, but he wasn't discouraged.

At least, having the medication's chemical structure and proportions meant he'd seen a glimmer of hope.

With the help of a laboratory in the relevant field, there was still a good chance they could make the medication.

In fact, with current technology, it might not even be that difficult to develop a similar drug.

The problem was that this illness had been extremely rare to begin with. Without sufficient demand, established laboratories had no reason to proactively research a medication specifically for it.

Now that they had a clear direction, both the difficulty and the production process would be greatly simplified. With enough funding, making it shouldn't be too complicated.

After all, Luca didn't need to mass-produce the medication and sell it for profit.

If they were only making it in a laboratory, the only real issue was the cost.

"Thanks, Baymax!"

Baymax had put Luca through an emotional roller coaster, but now that he'd finally relaxed, he didn't hesitate to step forward and hug its soft body.

"Mm, it really is like a marshmallow."

As soon as Baymax realized he was being hugged, it instinctively wrapped its arms around him, enveloping Luca completely in its springy body.

"Your neurotransmitter levels are rising steadily, and your hormone secretion is stabilizing. Anxiety symptoms appear to have eased."

Luca paused when he heard Baymax's voice.

Only then did he remember that Baymax had earlier "diagnosed" him with mild anxiety.

But a moment later, Luca simply smiled.

Even though he thought his composure and resilience were a little better than most people's.

Between being transported to another world, fighting battles, and the threats to the Orange company and his own life, all kinds of troubles had piled up. Mild anxiety was nothing much.

After hugging Baymax tightly once more, Luca gently pulled away and smiled at it.

"Don't spoil the moment by giving me a diagnosis right now~"

"I have recorded this in the Care Matrix. Treatment is complete. If you want me to enter sleep mode, you need to say, 'I'm satisfied with your service.'"

Watching the big guy follow its instructions so rigidly, Luca shook his head with a helpless smile.

"Looks like I'll have to train your conversational and emotional modules a lot more."

Thinking this, Luca decided not to say the "sleep command." Instead, he let Baymax stay powered on and keep him company.

"I will always be by your side."

After receiving the instruction, Baymax stood motionless, as if, in its understanding, that was what keeping someone company meant.

"Sure enough, its behavior is still a little rigid."

"Yeah, I'll need to adjust the startup and shutdown commands a bit too."

"But first, I should see how complicated Baymax's core program is. If it's too difficult, it won't be easy to modify."