Chapter 25: It's evolving?

"Are you okay, Peter?"

Seeing his friend sitting beside him looking somewhat off, Harry asked with concern.

"I'm fine."

Peter pretended everything was fine despite feeling strange sensations in his body.

His heart was pounding rapidly, a sensation of expansion filled his chest, and a feeling of nausea rolled in his throat.

It seemed like the alien embryo inside him was becoming restless.

Beside him, Uncle Ben also noticed his discomfort.

Uncle Ben looked at his nephew's pale face and quickly asked, "Are you feeling unwell, Peter?"

"Just feeling a bit short of breath, it's okay, I'll just step outside for some fresh air."

Peter forced a faint smile to Uncle Ben, trying not to show any signs of discomfort.

Stepping out of the church, Peter held his chest and breathed heavily.

After a few minutes, the uncomfortable feeling slowly dissipated.

Staring at the plants in the flowerbed in front of the church, Peter tried to steady his breathing.

He took out his phone and called Dr. Ryan, informing him that he was going for a check-up.

After sending a text message to Uncle Ben, he quickly headed to the Presbyterian Hospital.

Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Ryan's office.

By this time, Dr. Ryan had completed Peter's physical examination.

"How is it? Any changes in the tumor inside my body?" Peter asked Dr. Ryan with a furrowed brow.

He suspected that the previous discomfort in his body was caused by the alien embryo.

"It seems to have grown. I initially thought this entity had entered a long hibernation period, but obviously it hasn't. Besides being more closely connected to various organs in your body, the translucent eggshell outside its body has also grown larger."

Dr. Ryan stared at the CT scan images on the table, furrowing his brow. "I'm now one hundred percent sure it's not a tumor."

"But if we need further understanding of the changes happening in your body, I believe it's best to extract your blood for more accurate tests. We'll need to examine cell tissues and genetic changes as well."

Facing Dr. Ryan's suggestion for blood tests again, Peter shook his head.

"I've said before, this matter doesn't need to be brought up again."

After a moment of silence, he asked Dr. Ryan, "If it were to break out of my body, how soon do you think it would take?"

Dr. Ryan pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "I'm not sure. Generally, the nutrient intake rate of parasitic organisms doesn't adhere to strict timeframes."

"The host's nutritional health, nutrient intake, even gender, as well as differences in body functions between the elderly and children, could all affect its consumption rate."

After hesitating for a moment, Dr. Ryan continued, "But I don't think we can treat this entity in your body as an ordinary parasite."

Peter nodded slowly at Dr. Ryan's words.

Then Dr. Ryan continued, "The symptoms you experienced earlier—increased heart rate, vomiting—might indicate that 'it' has entered a new stage."

"A new evolutionary stage?"

"Yes."

"You should pay attention to any recent changes in your body."

Dr. Ryan put away the CT scan images and handed them to Peter.

"I'll prescribe some targeted suppression drugs. Perhaps these drugs can inhibit 'its' nutrient absorption rate. I'll also prescribe some medication for the palpitations, vomiting, and chest and abdominal swelling sensations you mentioned."

Although he felt the medication might not be very effective, he still offered to provide Peter with some.

After all, he had taken money from Peter, and if he didn't do anything but talk, he would feel a bit guilty.

Half an hour later.

Coming out of Dr. Ryan's ward, Peter walked slowly along the corridor, lost in thought.

The shadow of death, which could strike at any moment, seemed to follow him wherever he went.

In this respect, he truly was what Mrs. Weber called the "hand of death."

It seemed like he needed to accelerate his plans to become Spider-Man.

In original story, Peter Parker was bitten by a spider at a biological science exhibition.

He hoped the turbulence caused by the flapping of his own butterfly wings wouldn't affect this event.

Waiting at the elevator, Peter pressed the button to go down.

"Ding!"

The elevator doors opened, revealing a face he hadn't expected to see.

"Peter?!"

Gwen looked at Peter in shock.

After dealing with the endless police questioning, she decided to take a walk in the hospital, never expecting to run into Peter here.

"Uh, good morning, Gwen."

Peter greeted her calmly. "I was just about to come see you."

"Good morning, Peter."

Gwen stepped out of the elevator quickly and walked up to Peter.

"Why are you here to see me?" She pointed to the floor indicator, her expression clearly saying, "Don't lie to me."

"This is the oncology department!" Gwen instantly remembered seeing Peter at this hospital when she saw him at the café before. At that time, she didn't have the courage to ask. Now, resting at the Presbyterian Hospital, seeing Peter on the floor of the oncology department, she felt a bad feeling creeping in.

No!

God wouldn't be so cruel to her!

Gwen took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Just as she was about to speak, her gaze fell on the medication in Peter's hand.

Excitedly, she grabbed the medication from Peter's hand. "What is this?! Peter!" Gwen's voice trembled.

"Some medications for treating injuries, bought for you." Peter tried to appear calm at that moment.

Although Gwen was also recuperating at the Presbyterian Hospital, he didn't expect to see her on this floor.

"No! It's not!" Gwen tried to suppress her emotions. "I know what it is. It's medication for treating tumors. I know, my mother used something like this!"

Gwen's mother passed away when she was very young, so she knew what it represented.

"Why didn't you tell me, Peter?" Gwen's emotions collapsed, tears welling up in her eyes.

No!

Gwen quickly remembered what Peter had once said to her: "From the ancient to the future, all beings we can imagine, all beings we cannot imagine, all species, living or not, everything, ultimately, will die."

"I'm sorry, I should have noticed earlier, I should have guessed earlier." Gwen couldn't control her emotions anymore, she hugged Peter tightly.

With a hesitant pause, Peter slowly wrapped his arms around Gwen's shoulders.

What should he do?!

This misunderstanding seemed to be quite serious.

...