In a cutscene after Intimate, Paige and Ian explain the Rhythm Doctor Program to the player, but are first interrupted by a cocksure Dr Edega who tells them to submit a report about the Rhythm Doctor program. They are then interrupted by an emergency patient, the Insomniac. The player treats the Insomniac through glitches and disruptions caused by the Connectifia Abortus virus. After the level, Paige asks Ian about said glitches, and Ian explains that a strange virus was interrupting the intern's signal. The player moves on to the next ward.
Transcript
So. We haven't explained the whole "musical doctoring" process yet.
We kinda pulled you straight into the deep end. Sorry about that.
Thankfully, you’re a quick learner.
Ian, do you think you could explain the program? It's more...your thing.
R-right! The Rhythm Doctor program is a new, experimental healthcare initiative.
It's a music-based cardiological treatment.
By listening to the patient's heartbeat and synchronising with it, we can calm the irregularities.
It's quick, and can save a lot of lives.
Plus: interns can perform the treatment remotely, there's shorter waiting times, and less work piled on the staff.
It's a win-win situation.
That's the idea, at least. As long as all goes well, we can-
[Edega enters]
...
Ian, did you finish setting up that remote connection?
Y-yes, sir, as you can see, our new intern is here and-
Very good.
But let's not be overconfident. There's still a lot that both of you should be getting to.
The shift has only just started. Ensure that every patient is personally seen to.
[Edega starts walking away]
I imagine I'm not interrupting some sort of "break."
Not at all, we were just-
Submit a report about the program by the end of the day.
...
Don't mind him, that’s our...well, don't worry about it.
We should show you around so you can meet the rest of the patients.
You should be able to shift your video display around the hospital, to...
[A Code Blue is called as red lights blare from the top of the screen.]
H-hold on. Something's happening.
One of our patients needs help, immediately. That can't be good.
[1-X unlocks]
You're up, intern.
Remember, just stay calm and keep counting to seven.
No matter what happens!
[Interlude 1]
It looks like something's messing with your connection.
Try to focus on keeping a consistent beat, no matter what you see!
On second fail:
Oh dear...
Let's get him patched up and take it from the top.
On third fail:
This is tough...
The virus is disrupting your video connection. Don't trust what you see and hear!
On fourth fail:
I believe in you, intern!
This next one's gonna be the one. I can feel it.
Don't give up!
On fifth fail:
Do you think I should try operating the old-fashioned way?
I could put the patient under, and then look for signs of-
No! We need to prove that the rhythm method works!
Even in emergencies!
Even if that means patients get hurt while we train someone new!
If you say so. Good luck, intern!
On sixth fail:
If the signal is going to get glitched like this, how can we keep the beat?
It might even help to close your eyes, and tap your foot. You'll feel it!
On the three subsequent fails:
[Loop Dialogue]
Looks like we're going to have to do it once more.
With feeling.
Don't give up!
On tenth fail:
So, what should we talk about?
Ian, I don't think this is a good time for a chat.
The intern is clearly trying to focus!
Nahhh, no way. They're flubbing on purpose. They want to find an easter egg, or something.
This is serious! I don't think the intern is looking for an "easter egg."
Okay, fine, maybe not. Sorry. Back to the operation!
On the subsequent fail:
[Loop Dialogue] is displayed
On twelfth fail:
Alright, you did it. You were persistent.
Consider this your easter egg reward.
There's no easter eggs! This is a hospital!
Is it? Doesn't look like a hospital to me, anymore.
We're, like...outside.
Okay...true. (Ugh, this rhythm method is so weird.)
The sakura petals are a nice touch, huh?
Yes...yes, they are.
On any subsequent fails:
[Loop Dialogue] is displayed
Phew. Great work!
His heartbeat got really erratic, but it looks like you had it under control.
Ian, what was all that? Is that supposed to happen?
N-no. That strange virus was disrupting the intern's signal.
I-it was even messing with the cardiogram. It should be fixed now, but I'll look into it.
Just a s-small hiccup in the process. Hopefully it doesn't persist.
Let's move on, for now.
Got it.
Looks like we're done with this set of patients!
Let's move on to the next ward.
Either I'm going crazy, or there are TWO sword-swinging dudes walking around.
I don't get paid enough for this...
2P Changes
An additional color-swapped Insomniac is added to the level for Player 2, with his respective additional heartbeat row. This secondary Insomniac has the exact same heartbeat as the default Insomniac, with Player 1 taking control of the latter. Two health bars are present for both patients.
History
Prior to the full release of the game, this level and its super version were originally called "Oriental Insomniac". This was changed across all official sites using the song, the reason it was changed is still unclear.
Trivia
During the first few beats of this boss level, text will be present, giving feedback on the player's inputs. The text lets the player know if they hit the beat perfectly, if they missed it by hitting too early, or if they missed it by hitting too late. This is a trait shared with 2-X, but there are two differences. Firstly, 2-X has the feedback text present for the entirety of the level, whereas 1-X has the text fade out shortly after the level begins. Second, if the player fails to press their input key and misses at least 2 beats as a result of this, text will appear on the screen which reads "PRESS ON THE SEVENTH BEAT." This text is completely unique to 1-X and cannot be triggered in 2-X or any other boss level.
If the low health beeps are activated before the first interlude occurs, morse code will play during said interlude. The morse code spells out "MELON."
If the virus's health bar is not depleted before the song ends, it will loop for a few more bars, fading into static, with a short segment from Samurai Techno being audible.
