“Answer them!”
I have an inbuilt translator. I listened to everyone in the lab and built up a basic vocabulary. Now I know all the words that you know. I’m inside you because I’m learning what it’s like to be human.
For a long moment, Kaden was so stunned, he couldn’t speak.
You helped me. You’re a good person. You saved me. You wanted me to live.
Not always a good person. Not for what he was thinking now. Wishing he hadn’t… Wondering if he should kill… But he snapped off the thoughts as memories rushed back. Harris. Then Joe.
Much as he wanted it all to have been a dream, it hadn’t been.
Much as he wished he’d had a mental breakdown, that wasn’t the case.
“You didn’t need to be inside me to learn what it’s like to be human.”
Yes,Idid. I had to know everything. I healed you.
Bruises and cuts couldn’t just vanish. It was impossible to heal that fast.But Joe had healed his finger. Kaden had seen him do it.
“I need you to get out of my body.”
I can’t. Not yet. I can’t survive in the form I was in. I need you. You need me. I made your injuries better. I helped you. Harris had damaged your kidneys and your liver, broken your ribs…
No, no, no. This isn’t happening.Kaden kept telling himself not to freak out. There had to be a logical explanation except he struggled to come up with one.
Aren’t you pleased I healed you?
“I know you meant well, but maybeaskif there’s a next time.”Oh God, what am I saying?
What if you’re dying and can’t speak?
Kaden jolted. “How much can you do?”
Probably not re-attach your head. All other limbs I can give back to you.
“Shiiit.”
So don’t lose your head, just in case.
“Oh God. Don’t joke.”
I’m not joking.
Fuck!“I wish you hadn’t gone inside me. I was teaching you. You were learning.”
I had insufficient data to enable replication.
Kaden tensed. Replication? But then he’d seen himself sitting on his bed after Joe had mapped him. “You want to be exactly the same as me?”
No. Not exactly the same. I needed to know more. I thought it was best done as fast as I could while I was still small. I’m sorry I hurt you. Really sorry.
What the fuck have I done?Kaden let out a choked cry. “I don’t want you inside me.”
I’m not able to leave you yet.
Kaden slid down in bed and curled up. If he went back to sleep, would he wake up in his old world?
You are wonderful.
