I waited in reception for an hour and have yet heard the status of Kyle from the medical staff. I patiently will wait to take Kyle home.

“Hey! Josie!” I hear a staff member. I look up and see a blond man with white eyes talking to another team member, he had black hair and the same white eyes. “What do you want, Darrell?” his tone sounded rather hostile and dry.

“You heard what happened at the beach?” The blond staff asked. He must be talking about the removed threat.

“I don’t care…” the other staff replied. He busied himself with the clipboard in his hands.

“What do you mean? You should care!”

“Keep it down, Darrell…” The member glanced at me for a moment and then at the staff member.

“I know…!” he whispered excitedly. “But, the source of the sound was apprehended…!”

The black haired staff member’s eyes widened and stared at the floor in silence. He seemed much more alarmed than ecstatic. He finally faces the other member, “what do you mean, apprehended?” he asked. His tone now is more nervous than hostile.

“They found the siren that sang Prism Soldiers into comas...! They found it dead, however. There is something stronger than it. Hopefully it can’t sing us to death,” the blond staff member laughed.

The dark haired staff member had a hard time breathing, almost as if he was trying to process it. Why would he be scared of something that benefits Prism? “What did it look like?”

“No clue, they haven’t given us the details. I will let you know with the updates. By the way,” he held up a file to the other staff member, “Little Kyle is ready for discharge,” he said before leaving.

He stiffened, still processing what he heard. He finally read the files, he is sweating… and his body barely can contain the adrenaline. We both locked eyes, and he composed himself. He then asked, “Are you David?”

I stand, “Yes.”

He nodded, “I am Nurse Farnsworth, I am not certain if you could hear but Kyle is ready to be discharged.”

“Excellent.”

“There are a few things I need to ask you, do you comply?”

“Yes.”

“Are you his official guardian?”

“I was ordered to find him by my masters, so in a technicality yes.”

“What happened?”

“I found him that way, to my understanding he was attacked by the threat found on the beach.”

He didn’t like my response, he closed his eyes and looked uncomfortable. He drew a breath and asked, “do you know who his parents are?”

“Today is my first day as a Serf, so I never met them.” He wouldn’t stop staring at me.

“I see… May you Identify yourself?”

“M1-0001SiO.” His eyes blew wider than before.

“They made you a Serf…?” he said below a whisper.

“Affirmative.” I wasn’t understanding the context, I was made to serve my master and serve the military. Why would he be surprised at such an obvious statement?

“I can’t believe it… Follow me…” he finally said dejectedly and walked me down the west wing.

There was silence, and mild whispers of jargon echoing through the hall. At my feet I see a black feather and pick it up. This is the second feather I see and there is something very… peculiar about it.

I follow the trail of feathers leading me to an empty care unit. The bed sheets were stained with blood and urine…

To my left I see an uncovered vent.

…

I can’t breath.

…

Run.

My body wants to run but I cannot move. I shake the thought from my mind, but now the scene is more distorted. A bloodied arm dangles from the vent and a body lies on the tousled bed.

The taste of vomit soured my tongue. This sensation is unnatural and perturbs me…

…

I approach the body, the body is covered in scars and bruises. It is a male with a peculiar moon on his forehead. His hair is black and his eyes... eyes are bloodshot and soft, all 7 of them.

…

Soft eyes…

…

Oh…

…

I hear a giggle.

…

It’s coming from the vent…

“David.”

“Yes, Nurse Farnsworth?” I asked and turned to him.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

…

I don’t know...

“....My apologies, I thought I saw something and decided to investigate.” He stays quiet and gestures for me to follow.

…

“You look live and well,” the nurse said.

“I beg your pardon?”

We make a turn and we enter Kyle’s room. The boy was startled, and the way his face pruned and swelled he had to be crying.

“Why are you crying? Are you feeling pain?” the nurse approaches Kyle and checks his bandages.

Assuming he didn’t reply because Kyle may not understand English, I stood by the nurse and translated, “¿Por qué lloras? ¿Sientes dolor?”

“Quiero ir a mi casa, no quiero estar aquí…” Kyle replied. I imagined that would be the case.

I translated to the nurse. “I want to go home, I do not want to be here.”

The nurse seems disturbed. “...You are extremely fluent.” I have a feeling that was not what he meant to say by the way he hesitated.

“I am proficient in 20 languages,” I said. “I must apologize, but I do need to bring him home. How much longer does he need to stay?”

“I do not see anything wrong for him to stay the night, I will be visiting to check on him. I am sure you are already in the system?”

“Yes, I was registered today.”

“Alright, he should be medicated for the pain so he can sleep the night comfortably.” The nurse said and walked over to the seat where his belongings were, in a new Prism approved blue color backpack. “I do understand he was found with a red backpack,” he said. “I won’t report it because he is a child and I would rather not get him in trouble for something he may not understand still.”

That was a very strange thing to do, but I am imagining nurses do anything to protect their patients. “I will visit one week from now to monitor his recovery,” he added.

I nod.

…

His stare can almost pierce my mind. There was a lot of hesitation, and finally he managed to mutter, “You may take Kyle home, I will add in the system you have authorization to escort a civilian during curfew.”

“Thank you, nurse Farnsworth.”

“Please… Address me as Josiah…” I was taken aback with how informal he was towards me. I am a Serf, I shouldn’t have that privilege, but I must oblige. I held my palm over my chest and bow.

I throw Kyle’s backpack over my shoulder. “Nos vamos,” I said to Kyle, he didn’t seem too thrilled at the idea he needed to go home with me.

“¿Puedes caminar?” I asked, before he was standing despite the wounds he suffered but I wasn’t sure if his legs were damaged.

He nods, and tries to lift himself off the bed.

“Let me help.” The nurse was very gentle helping Kyle out and dressing him in temporary clothing.

Perhaps it was my lack of familiarity with the Prism medical staff but I am not used to the informality. Maybe it was his presence itself that tightened my chest.

…

I pick Kyle up and carry him out of the room. As I walk down the hall I hear a very faint sound followed by, “what the hell did they do to you…?”

It came from Kyle’s recovery room, the nurse never left. I do not know who was talking to, but my ears were out of range to pick up any other sound coming from that room.