Episode 20

INVESTIGATE THE GENERAL HOSPITAL / DECIPHER THE PERPLEXING CODE (MISSION: 20　総合病院を調査せよ / 難解な暗号を解読せよ) is the twentieth episode of the SPY x FAMILY TV anime series and the eighth episode of the second cour.

INVESTIGATE THE GENERAL HOSPITAL
Anya has to write a report about an occupation she's interested in, so she ends up going to Loid's place of work, Berlint General Hospital. As soon as Loid was out of sight, Anya starts to explore!

DECIPHER THE PERPLEXING CODE
Anya becomes very interested in deciphering codes after seeing it done in her spy cartoon, so she makes her own code and sends Loid and the others secret messages. Will they be able to crack the codes?!

INVESTIGATE THE GENERAL HOSPITAL
Henry Henderson instructs the children to investigate an occupation that interests them for their next social studies project. He suggests various methods, such as interviewing their parents about their jobs, making inquiries at a local business, getting their parents to arrange an interview with a prominent figure in their field, or even asking himself about educators. He adds that they will each prepare a report about their chosen profession and present it to the class on Friday. Becky Blackbell decides she'll choose her father's company and asks Anya Forger about her choice. In the back, Emile Elman asks Damian Desmond if he's going to interview his dad, to which Damian replies that he will if he can get hold of him.

After returning home, Yor Forger asks what a "job investigation" is and Anya explains that she has to ask how someone got their job and why they chose it, as well as watch them at work. As Yor is briefly confused about what to do and which job, the scene moves to Yor's imagination of bringing Anya to her secret job as an assassin, with Anya dressed in an assassin outfit to similar Yor's. Yor explains that she initially took the job to provide for Yuri, but now does it with pride as the Shopkeeper says the job is a noble calling, and she should be proud as any soldier who devoted their lives to their homeland.

The phone rings as the Shopkeeper calls Yor with a mission. Yor looks at a document with a photo and details of her latest "customer," calling him a traitorous scum but refrains from telling Anya about a list of his deeds. Yor runs to meet her newest customer, telling Anya to keep up with her. Yor explains that "The Shop" analyzes the target's capabilities and defenses, so all she needs to do is finish the job. She adds that she should kill on sight but killing the wrong person would be out of the question, so she studies the photos carefully. Yor states that she does not skulk as she should not be the one ashamed.

As Yor expertly disables several guards, Yor clarifies that she feels that the job is rewarding as she gets the feeling that she is digging in and doing her part to clean up the country, and it invigorates her to think of all the lives saved by her work. Yor explains that properly honing your body and skills are important in this line of work, along with a good understanding of human anatomy. She reminds Anya to always remember that the target is a human being who deserves a painless death as she politely asks the target for the honor of taking his life. She demonstrates while explaining several methods of quickly killing the target, liberally splashing Anya with blood. Seeing the blood-covered Anya, Yor says they will tell Loid Forger they were at a tomato festival.

Back to reality, Anya stares at Yor and decides to report on Loid's job instead, having read Yor's imagination. Yor agrees, as her work at City Hall can be a bit dull. Loid soon returns home, and Anya explains her assignment.

Two days later, Loid brings Anya dressed as a detective to Berlint General Hospital, where he works in the Psychiatry Department. Anya is amazed at the large size of the hospital. Loid comments that it is the capital's most prominent hospital. Anya overhears Loid's thoughts that a private-practice clinician might have made for an easier cover story, but he decided to work there as it provides opportunities to steal intel and forge connections, as there are many major figures in politics, industry, and the military using the hospital. Anya quickly notes Loid's thoughts in her notebook, to his confusion. Loid wonders why Anya is dressed like a detective. Anya answers that it is how investigators dress.

Loid changes into a lab coat, explaining that he finds it looks more professional although psychiatrists don't generally wear lab coats. Loid asks what Anya wanted to know about his work as they walk down the hallway. Anya looks at her notebook and asks why he chose this occupation. Loid replies that everyone catches colds sometimes, but many people catch colds in their minds as well. Anya comments that Damian said she was too dumb to even catch a cold in P.E. class and Loid tells her to try to get along with Damian. Loid continues, saying that he thought it would be good to try to help those people and that many people, especially veterans, are still suffering long after the war has ended. Anya reads Loid's mind, which says that he hoped that working as a doctor would allow him to approach Donovan Desmond if he ever got sick, and writes it down in her notebook.

Next, as Anya asks what Loid's workplace is like, some hospital staff recognize Loid and greet him. They notice Anya and ask if she's his daughter with him. Loid introduces the staff to Anya and tells Anya to introduce herself. The staff praises Anya, patting her head and offering her candy. Anya happily notes that Loid's workplace is paradise in her notebook. Anya asks the staff what Loid is like when he's at work. They praise Loid, saying he is always polite and kind to the patients and that everyone at the hospital adores him. One of the staff tells Loid the director wants to play golf with him. Anya overhears Loid's thoughts that maintaining a diverse collection of contacts is important to make it easier to gather information and forge new contacts, as well as reduce suspicion of him being a spy.

Anya asks Loid what the hardest part of his job is. Loid explains that the wounds he treats are not visible, thus treating them is difficult as doctors are not wizards and cannot see inside someone's mind, causing Anya to smirk. Loid tries to continue explaining the importance of building a relationship of trust with patients, but Anya is distracted by eating the candy given by the staff and the staff continues to indulge Anya, causing Loid to state that the interview is over angrily.

As the staff leave, Anya tells Loid she wants to see him work. Loid says he can't let her see him work with a patient as it would be a violation of medical ethics, nor can he show his research to the public. Loid shows Anya one of the empty consultation rooms. Anya begins to fiddle with the bookshelf in boredom. Loid quickly stops Anya, revealing an emergency escape route for when he goes on missions in the bookshelf through his thoughts. Someone knocks on the door of the consultation room; Loid recognizes it as one of her WISE colleagues and asks Anya if she wants Loid to have Yor pick her up. Anya says she'll wait for him to be done with work. Loid provides Anya with a sand table to play with while she waits. Loid warns her not to touch anything else and leaves. Anya quickly gets a scheming look after he leaves.

Outside the consultation room, Fiona Frost gives Loid some documents, disguising another mission for Loid. Loid explains that WISE has placed several assets in the hospital to support his cover story. Fiona asks if the little girl is Anya Forger and comments that they seem close. Loid sighs, saying Anya's unpredictability annoys him, and Fiona is surprised that someone can get the better of him.

In the consultation room, Anya pulls a lever hidden in the bookshelf, revealing a ladder leading below the room. Anya investigates the escape route, squeezing past a tight passage before she hears a voice from a vent. In the room below, several men are having a serious meeting about the neuroscience behind the paranormal perception. Anya is excited about ghosts and lies down to listen, accidentally hitting a metal pipe in the process. The men are confused about the sudden noise but nervously dismiss it. Anya remembers she needs to return before Loid does. However, she realizes her leg got stuck under a pipe. Her struggling sounds while freeing herself are mistaken by the men for a ghost. She manages to escape and hurries back. The men decide to keep an open mind when patients speak of ghosts.

Anya returns just in time to hear Loid's thoughts as he returns. She quickly makes something on the sand table before he comes in. Loid analyzes her sand table to observe her subconscious mind but is shocked by her sand table being utter chaos. Loid believes Anya is subconsciously stressed by her recent adoption, blaming himself for failing as a parent and a spy, and decides she needs immediate care. Anya tries to explain that she just mixed it all up but flushes in embarrassment at Loid's thoughts. Loid suggests they buy the new Spy Wars on their way home and offers to work on the report together. He picks up her notebook to read, causing Anya to panic as she wrote about his spy work. However, Anya's writing is unintelligible, so Anya says she'll work on the report herself, which Loid praises her for.

When they return home, Yor asks if Anya got to see Loid perform his concussive therapy, describing how he punches, kicks, and leg sweeps his patients. Loid tries to explain to Yor that it's only for extreme circumstances.

On Friday, Anya reads out her report to the class. While initially presenting Loid's normal activities as a psychiatrist, Anya mentions his determination to make connections, how he plays golf at his job, and uses a secret escape route. Anya even says that Loid sometimes punches and kicks his patients, shocking Henry. While on a briefing with Handler, Loid gets a shiver and is later summoned to the school, where he manages to talk his way out with his equivocation skills.

DECIPHER THE PERPLEXING CODE
Inspired by a scene from Spy Wars, Anya decides to make a top-secret code for a rendezvous. However, Loid points out that because of Anya's terrible handwriting, the code will be unreadable, let alone solved. After Loid leaves for work, Anya gets Yor to help write down several copies of her secret code. Anya first hands her first pages to Bond, the neighbors, then Franky, refusing to reveal its contents. On the next day at school, Anya gives Becky her code, but Becky gets upset when Anya refuses to say anything. She then gives a copy to Damian, who quickly crumples it up and throws it away in irritation. Later that night, Anya sets her alarm clock to one hour before the rendezvous and has a dream about someone showing up after cracking the code.

Meanwhile, Franky returns home and remembers the code Anya gave him. Upon noticing the nice handwriting and smell of the paper, Franky assumes that this is a love letter from a beautiful woman. The next day, Franky arrives early at the rendezvous, dressed in a suit and tie while carrying a bouquet of roses. While Franky had successfully cracked the code, he ended up staying up all night out of excitement, and as he waits, he starts wondering who the mystery woman might be. At the Forger home, Anya sleeps through her ringing alarm clock, which Bond promptly shuts off.

Anime Notes

 * Decipher the Perplexing Code is an original story exclusive to the anime.
 * Franky's house first appears in this story, while in the manga its first appearance is in Chapter 60.
 * The mailman that Anya tries to give the code to is the same mailman from the end of Episode 1.
 * Due to censorship reasons, all the blood in Yor's imagination sequence of showing Anya her job is colored pink instead of red.
 * Anya's detective outfit has a different appearance in the anime. In the manga, the hat and jacket both have a checkered pattern. In the anime, the checkered pattern is only on the sides of the hat while the front of the hat and the jacket lack the pattern. However, the concept art of Anya wearing the detective outfit that appears on the cover of the episode script keeps the outfit's original appearance from the manga.