Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Giiiiing, giing.
I felt the vibration crawl up my spine. My pupils and lips trembled involuntarily.
The android was removing the external spine embedded in my back. As the securing screws on either side of my spine came loose, blood trickled down my back.
- You will experience some foreign body sensation and pain for a while.
The android placed the blood-stained screws onto a tray one by one as it spoke.
On the wall-mounted display, my medical chart was visible. I had suffered a fatal cervical fracture. This wasn’t something that could be overcome through sheer willpower or determination, so this time, I didn’t attempt an early discharge.
Crack.
I rubbed the back of my neck and moved my head. The muscles around my barely reattached cervical vertebrae were stiff.
‘I almost ended up living with an external spine.’
Whether external or internal, having a cybernetic artificial spine implanted would mean an extended rehabilitation period. Recovering my original level of performance with an artificial spine would take a long time. Even in full-body prosthetic procedures, the spine—dense with neural connections—was the most difficult and intricate part to operate on.
I closed my eyes and focused on the changes in my body. The neural signals that had been rerouted through the artificial spinal cord now traveled through my natural central nervous system again.