The History of the Ear Men

Chapter 4: Catkaty’s Father Has No Idea Where His Daughter Had Vanished To

Back at the hospital in the real world, Zuphixy was about to operate on his daughter when she suddenly vanished, puzzling him. It had been six years since he was last in Silla‑Tierra, and now, as a full‑time doctor in a small town, he had nearly forgotten about that world.

Zuphixy knew there was no point in going to the police. As every time someone from their family vanished, the police said it was a waste of resources, only for the person to reappear later.

Even though Purpleten had been human for six years, she still thought injuries weren’t as serious for humans, because in her mind she still thought like a living wheelchair.

Purpleten had lived most of her life in Silla‑Tierra, so when she saw how her daughter had injured her back, she thought it was no worse than adjusting a footrest to make a wheelchair more comfortable.

Just then, twenty‑three‑year‑old Zoofixy Jr. came streaking into the kitchen, walking on his hands, and asked his mom how Catkaty’s surgery had gone. Before she could respond, he tripped over his father’s spare wheelchair and fell into it. As soon as he was in it vanished with the chair.

Purpleten, who always wore purple, went to the phone on the wall and called Zuphixy.  She called to tell him their son had just disappeared with a wheelchair.

Zuphixy thought to himself, Not again, and said to Purpleten, “I’ll look for him. You don’t have to deal with the neighbors who always make fun of you for the way you dress.”

Just as he was about to leave the hospital to search for his son, another patient needed care. By the time he finished, he had forgotten that he was going to look for his son, instead he went home.

When Zuphixy got home, he asked Purpleten where his spare wheelchair was. He was so busy at work that he had forgotten what she’d told him on the phone earlier.

Purpleten was used to Zuphixy forgetting things, but she was still upset that he’d forgotten something as important as their son disappearing. Instead of showing her frustration, she calmly reminded him of what she’d said on the phone.

Hearing that both of his children were gone, Zuphixy whizzed out of the house. He sped to all the places he thought his son might be and asked around. Most people said no, and added, “Why do you care so much? He’s an adult now! he’s free to do what he wants.”

He had asked Purpleten where his spare wheelchair was because the chair he was using had a loose front wheel. With the chair missing, he decided to go to the local wheelchair store to see if they could rent one while his was being repaired.

At first, the store didn’t want to give one to him. They knew his family’s chairs had vanished before. They only agreed when both of his front wheels fell off right there in the store. As soon as he switched chairs, he vanished.

This was the third time someone had vanished like that in the store, so the salesmen just said, “We predicted that.”

Back at home, Purpleten was unaware that her husband had vanished. When he wasn’t home by two in the morning, she called the hospital to see if he was working. When she learned he wasn’t there, she grew scared. She had also forgotten about Silla‑Tierra.

Purpleten began to panic. She hadn’t been out of the house without someone from her family at her side, since she came to this world. She did that because strangers and neighbors made fun of her looks. She thought about asking her father in law for help. Until she remembered he was eighty‑six and living in a long‑term care facility. She figured he probably didn’t even remember her.

Just then, the wheelchair store called and said her husband had vanished.

Now that Zuphixy had vanished again, the hospital administrator was not happy. But unlike last time, when he was the only doctor around for Christmas, this time they could keep the hospital open, because the hospital administrator had another doctor fill it. Only problem was the second doctor wasn’t as skilled.

Breaking her usual pattern for the first time, Purpleten decided to put on her husband’s doctor’s coat to hide who she was. she did this to hide who she was while she searched for her family.

She went to the wheelchair store to see if there was any clue that could lead her to them. When she walked into the store, she was looking down at the floor for clues and bumped into a wheelchair, and fell into it. The next thing she knew, she was in Silla‑Tierra, cutting up some roots for supper.