Chapter 5: Stoicism

Chapter 5: Stoicism is the fifth chapter of Breathe Deeply.

Characters

 * Sei Inaba
 * Yuko Kazama (memory)
 * Ryo
 * Oishi
 * Chief
 * Sato

Synopsis
A cameraman records Sei's presentation on making plastic cells function exactly like human cells, and how they can continue to function without any external power source.

Memories of making a promise to Yuko, and his graduate studies research are in mind. Sei was told polymers that function like human cells were nonsense and that it was time for him to start more realistic research. No matter how well they understand the heart, they cannot fix blood clots and researchers doubted a day would come where they could overcome the problem.

Pointing out that human cells can breathe, Sei states there is no future for plastics that cannot breathe along with them. He needed motions not driven by electricity and then comes across the belousov zhabotinsky reaction in some notes.

The presentation continues with Sei explaining how the polymer gel triggers an oscillating chemical reaction within the blood, in effect functioning exactly like the human heart muscle.

After the presentation has concluded there is someone to see Sei. Ryo is waiting for him having come to Kobe since there is a seminar on the determination of brain death.

Ryo has looked into the medical association recently but has not found the name Sei was after, namely a Tsuyoshi. He suspects Sei may act out to pull him out of the woodwork, but Sei claims he has not thought of Tsuyoshi in years.

Moving to a next topic, Sei says if they can just solve this last problem then they can make an artificial heart with mitochondria that breathe. Told the TV crew is looking for him, Sei takes his leave but not before Ryo affirms that he is not a philosopher so there is no need to air his opinions out in public.

Chief offers to repay Oishi by making him her assistant when she becomes a professor. Taking a hold of his tie she tells him further that considering his background, he cannot get a better deal. Oishi does not reply but hears the stern suggestion to keep his mouth shut.

As he sees to research, Oishi remembers Yuko asking if he would let her have his heart. He told her he wanted to stay alive and be with her and nervously worded that he will get someone else’s heart for her.

In the lab he is asked if he knows anything about Sei, specifically a weak point. Oishi claims to have never even met him but is told there is something about the two of them, that they are both creepy.

Sato joins them with the suggestion that they could introduce genetically engineered foetuses born without brains as a means of harvesting their organs so that people could live forever with transplants. That research is rejected before a woman with her daughter enters the room where the latter needs a transplant to live.

A presentation is given concerning hearts and other organs being grown when they are needed. On the other side of this public debate is Sei but he is told his plastics are just toys at the end of the day. He has further concerns on the nature of harvesting organs, asking if it is not strange that doctors anesthetize a brain-dead person before removing their organs for transplant.

He takes issue with the agenda driven medical community that forcefully encouraging donating organs to an uneducated public. At that point Sei is confronted on stage by the woman before who tells him that is easy for him to say when he has never seen a loved one dying from heart disease.

The emotional plea from the mother is capitalised on by the television reporting crew, but Sei speaks that to lose someone you love is far more painful than losing your own life. However everyone will die someday and if that is not accepted then ones suffering will never end.

Taking supplies with him, Oishi thinks back to an incident where Sei used a kitchen knife on himself with the desire to give Yuko his own heart.