第44話: ピノコの誕生日にブラックジャックがその起源を回想する

44

On Pinoko's birthday, Black Jack reminisces of how Pinoko came into his life. On a night some years ago, a group of doctors came to Black Jack with a masked woman who had a Teratoma--a cystic tumor caused when one twin does not develop fully but continues to grow inside the other. The doctors ask BJ to remove it, explaining all other attempts failed when the doctors seemed to go crazy. Intrigued by the 'curse' and how developed the tumor is, BJ agrees to operate but finds himself at the point of his own scalpel as a voice screams not to cut. Assuring the tumor he only intends to remove her, not to kill her, he's permitted to continue the operation, putting the contents in a culture for it to live. With synthetic skin, he fashions a body for her, supplying whatever organs she is missing. Though against his nature, he chooses to raise her, naming her 'Pinoko' and teaching her to walk, speak, etc. He sees a glimmer of himself in her, refusing to help her when she falls and encouraging her to get up on her own, knowing her endurance will make her stronger. A year passes. When the masked woman returns for her final check-up, he has her and Pinoko face each other. The woman is mortified, rejecting Pinoko as her sister. Devastated, Pinoko attacks her, calling her a fool and a murderer, sobbing that she could never understand. The woman quickly takes off, leaving Pinoko behind with Black Jack. (Source: Wikipedia)