## Writing Prompt: The Case of the Missing Diagnosis Craft a witty detective story where the correct medical diagnosis has vanished into thin air, and only one brilliant investigator can crack the case. ### Setting A bustling hospital where symptoms multiply, charts contradict each other, and the right answer hides in plain sight. Medical staff are suspects. Every patient's story is a red herring. ### Main Character A no-nonsense detective with a medical degree and an attitude problem. They approach each case like a seasoned homicide detective, complete with trench coat, magnifying glass, and dramatic pauses. ### Plot Requirements - **The Crime**: A patient's correct diagnosis disappears mid-investigation - **The Witnesses**: Confused patients, evasive specialists, and nurses who know too much - **The Clues**: Cryptic lab results, contradictory symptoms, and mysterious disappearances - **The Resolution**: An ironic twist where the "missing diagnosis" was hiding in the fine print all along ### Tone Channel classic noir detective fiction, but make it medically absurd. Think Raymond Chandler meets House M.D. with a comedic twist. ### Style Use hardboiled detective dialogue applied to medical jargon. Include at least one scene where the detective dramatically lights a cigarette in a hospital stairwell (ironically, given smoking policies). Write a complete short story of 1,000-1,500 words that plays the premise completely straight while maintaining absurd undertones.