Artificial Mates - Chapter 22

I woke up to the sound of sirens. Red and blue lights flashed in a whirlpool of chaotic thumping. My glasses, gone. I groaned to the numb feeling at the base of my skull. A solid gloved hand pressed my head down when I tried to sit. The blurry image of a medic cyborg wobbled before me.

“What…?” I gaped.

“Miss, please remain still. You’re on the way to the emergency. We’ve found you unconscious in your apartment. Your companions called us,” explained the robotic voice coming from a blank faceplate with two orange stripes on the side. I stared with wide eyes than his words sunk in. My memory was still fuzzy.

“Emergency? Hospi… Wait! I can’t go to the hospital!” I struggled to get up. Straps around my chest and h.i.p.s restrain my movement. The loud siren pierced through my ears making the spinning of the ceiling worst. I groaned in pain squeezing my lids shut. A warm hand stroked my trembling fingers helped to ease the throbbing.

“Shh, calm down,” my eyes popped open, a cloudy face with aquamarine dots for eyes gazed down at me.

“Grant?” I called with a broken voice. The comforting hand holding mine. The vehicle rocked as it stopped, tires squealed on the asphalt. “It’s ok, I’m here,” his smooth voice close.

“I can’t afford… it,” I shook my head from side to side. I movement made black spots appeared on my field of vision.

“Don’t worry about the bills,” he said in a weak voice.

“Quick…” the rest fused in a blend of broken sentences and disarray of rapid footsteps. Then it all faded to black.

***

I squinted, raised a palm to cover my eyes. The warm sun filtered through the blinds and shone straight on my face. My thoughts were foggy, the room was an unusual white, stripped of all furniture. My other hand didn’t seem to obey when I pulled on it. I extended the one still moving to where my nightstand should be and only hit emptiness.

“My glasses…” I muttered with a sleepy tone. A pair of hands grabbed on. I looked up in its direction.

“I’ve got them. Here,” they slipped them over my face. I blinked twice at Grant sitting on a red plastic chair by the bed.

“Grant!” he gave me a weak smile.

“Good morning, Liliane,” I nodded at him then I looked around, to my right a large window on the other side a white curtain separating me with the next patient, I presumed. I frowned at Grant.

“Where’s…?” my voice trailed off as the memories of our hot kiss on the platform flooded back but it faded and replaced with Demos’ furious face glaring at me. Grant shook his head and lowered his eyes.

“He’s outside… pacing in the corridor. He just can’t face you, right now. He feels terrible for yelling at you,” my gaze roamed on the white sheet covering my legs and stopped at the IV plugged in my right wrist. They strapped it against the bed’s side rail.

“I want to go home,” I whispered sinking back into the hard pillow under my head. He bent towards the bed and took my free hand causing the raging headache to fade. I groaned at the impression.

“We can’t, the doctor will be here soon,” I frowned at him.

“What about work?” I pulled my palm away from his to check my bracelet and found it gone. I looked up in an alert. He fished from his pocket the silver band and waved it at me.

“They did a scan last night and had to remove it,” he gently clipped on my left wrist. Leaving the places he touched with a tingling sensation. The memory of my lips over his came full force making my face hot. With only one grip, I couldn’t activate the voice command.

“Here, let me help you,” the mattress creaked as he leaned on. Our eyes met he gave me a warm smile. Then, a door opened breaking our connection followed by a hand pulling on the curtain separating us from the next bed. An old man with waving grey hair wearing a white blouse gazed at us. Demos stood quietly behind him.

“Good morning,” he looked at his Ledpad then back at me. “… Miss. Kerry. I’m Doctor Patel. From your scan and your historic…” he scrolled through the data on the transparent screen. “It’s chronic fatigue. A poor diet, bad sleep circle, your levels of stress are hitting the roof,” he shook his head.

“That’s a bad combination for some who had experienced the void. I see a note from your evaluator… a fairly recent one,” he glanced up from his screen. I nodded in response.

“He prescribed the Happiness program,” commented Demos as he crossed his arms on his chest. The doctor turned at him.

“Did you follow the exercises?” I pushed my glasses up my nose averting my eyes.

“We urged her to go out more. I am the one in charge of her meals,” Grant got to his feet standing between the doctor and me.

“I’m having some trouble at work and need to do overtime, I’m just tired,” I sighed. Pulling on the restrains on my right hand, I accessed my mail making the skin around the IV needle sting. The doctor narrowed his eyes at me.

“You’ll have to do better than that Miss. Kerry. This is a slippery slow. You don’t joke with the void. If you’re back here in that same bed with the same problem I’ll have to put you on medication,” I remained silent with my eyes fixed where the needle purged into my skin making the skin around look green. “Do you understand me? This is serious. A young woman full of life like you should be out partying or something not sitting here in a hospital bed suffering from fatigue like an elderly,” he exhaled. “Just stick to the program. When the IV drip is done a nurse will remove it and you can go home,” he shook his head in dismay.

“Can I have a word with you, outside,” Demos whispered to the Doctor, they both exited leaving me alone with Grant. I turned back to my bracelet.

“Mail to Mr. Ramdin from SolTec. Subject: Liliane Kerry. Message: I’m calling in sick. I’m in the hospital right now. I’m sorry for the late notice. I know I should be doing the mentorship for the assistant today. I’ll send the receipt later. Send,” it chimed indicating the mail was sent. The silence stretched in the room. Making it hard to breathe.

“Liliane?” he slowly turned my chin forcing me to face him. “Please, take care of yourself. You mean so much to us. Promise me you’ll do the program,” I frowned at him.

“How can you ask that of me when I don’t even know how I’ll pay the freaking bill for the hospital? Let alone everything else…” my eyes welled up. I swallowed to keep them at bay.

“If it’s a money problem, then I’ll find a job,” Demos cut in pushing the curtain away, the door behind him was while open. He must have heard it all. “And I’ve already cleared the bill for the hospital!” I pushed away from Grant.

“What? How?” I shouted. He lowered his eyes to the floor.

“I wanted to tell you about yesterday… but everything happened so fast. I was angry that you kiss… us to later reject us. I’m sorry for shouting… please forgive me I was harsh,” he added dryly I searched his face for a sign of sincerity. He looked up his copper eyes seemed to burn with intensity. His jaw tensed he quickly looked away. “The two persons who attacked us…had a bounty. When I helped apprehend them… their bounty was transferred to me. I used the money to pay the bills,” he kept his eyes to the floor while explaining.

“What? How is that even possible?” I struggled to sit upright. “You don’t even have an account,” Grant came to my rescue pulling the pillow so I can sit.

“Jil helped us with that,” smiled Grant. They had been keeping things from me. I didn’t like that at all. I didn’t like Jil and I didn’t like that growing sensation in the pit of my stomach.

“If we are going to do this thing… I don’t want any secrets, ok!” they both turned to me in sync. I blinked at their quick movement. I some times forget they are artificial. I shook my head to stay focus.

“What thing?” they both said at the same time.

“What thing? The happiness program, of course,” I narrowed my eyes at them. Demos tilted his head to the side with a smirk. A slow s.e.xy smile.

“Sneaky!” he muttered. Grant lowered his head in disappointment. Ok, I did it on purpose. Served him right. He didn’t have to yell at me like I was some kid.

“What do we do now?” I exhaled in frustration. Demos came closer to the bed. Grant took my hand in his stroking it.

“Can I kiss you?” I almost choked on my tongue. I gaped at him with shock. He flashed a huge grin with sparkling silver eyes full of mischief.

“We are in a public space, behave!” snapped Demos averting his eyes. Grant pouted still stroking my hand. He turned to me with puppy eyes.

“Then, can we kiss when we get home? And what about our date?” he asked in the most innocent way. I couldn’t believe my ears.

“What kind of monster have I created?” I sunk against the pillow feeling all my energy draining from my pores.