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Ch.1

Ch.1 Grim

"Grim?"

"Hmm?"

I broke out of my panicked thoughts and turned to Victor.

"You alright? We've been sitting in front of the hospital for about ten minutes."

He put his right hand on mine. The cold metal of the fake arm made me shiver. He seemed to notice and moved away.

"Sorry..." I said.

"No, it's fine. I know you still aren't used to this."

He moved the mechanical fingers on his hand.

"Neither am I... I miss having feeling in this hand."

We sat there in silence for a minute. I was in the car seat with my knees up to my chest, shaking. Victor sighed.

"You know we have to go inside."

He put his arm around me and kissed my temple.

"You don't have to do this. There are some people in the military without bionics. You're already the best sniper at the school."

I glared at him.

"The only people that actually do things that are worthwhile are the very best. I'm not just going to stay at the station cleaning weapons."

"Okay, whatever you say."

He got out of the car and walked over to my side.

"I'm not carrying you inside."

I hesitated, but opened the door and slid out of the seat. Victor offered to help me walk in.

"I... I don't want people to-"

"It's 2550, Grim. No one is going to hurt us. I'll make sure of that."

I looked at the ground. I felt Victor pat me on the head with his normal hand.

"I'm sorry, let's just get inside."
...

Just the waiting room of the hospital was complete chaos. Some people were curled up in their seats. Friends, partners, and family members were trying to calm them. As Victor and I walked in a girl was being dragged off to the surgery room, kicking and screaming curses.

I shivered and leaned into Victor. He put his arm around me and I relaxed.

"You'll be okay, Grim."

I shut my eyes and tried to block out the chaos of the room.

"Grim."

I opened my eyes to see a small, black, floating cube in front of me.

"Oh," I yawned, "hello Allie."

"You have one message from Tom Jean."

I frowned.

"Show it to me later."

"Yes sir."

A113 flew to my neck and extended itself around so that it became a necklace.

"What does your dad want," whispered Victor.

"I don't know," I whispered back, "I'm staying with you after this, right?"

"Do they know?"

"They think you're a close friend."

Victor frowned.

"I'm sorry Vic, but they can't know. Not yet anyway."

"When then?"

I sat up and kissed him.

"When we leave. Will you be there?"

He smiled.

"Of course."

I smiled back.

"Grim Jean, come to surgical room 123, Grim Jean, come to surgical room 123. An AI will be there to guide you soon."

The panic and stress came back. I felt Victor rub my back.

"You'll be fine. We'll be in my apartment when you wake up."

He kissed me before the AI came to get me.

"I love you," whispered Victor.

"I love you too."

He smiled and leaned back into the chair.

I followed the small white cube to the surgery room. It then flew over to the doctor standing by the operating table. Next to her was a tray with a syringe full of a clear liquid and a bowl of water.

"Mr. Jean," said the doctor, "lay on the table in front of me."

I nodded and walked over to the operating table. I carefully laid down. Metal clamps went around my ankles and wrists. My heart started racing.

"Calm down Mr. Jean," said the doctor as she adjusted a clamp on my head. "This is just so you don't move around during the operation."

She moved a clamp over my right eye.

"Right eye, correct?"

"Y- yes," I stuttered.

The doctor put the clamp on my eye, making it stay open.

"Now," a claw came down over my head. "This is going to hurt."

No shit.

"Can't you put me to sleep or something?"

"My orders are to only give you an injection after the operation."

The claw lowered towards my eye.

"Feel free to scream, just don't bite your tongue."

The claw quickly grabbed my eye and yanked it out. I screamed at the top of my lungs. The claw dropped my eye into the bowl full of water.

"Good, you didn't kill yourself."

I muttered a curse under my breath.

"I have to clean the claw before putting in the new eye. It should only take me a few minutes."

Fuck you!

I heard the doctor take the claw off of its arm and walk to the back. After a few minutes she came back and screwed the claw back onto its arm. In the claw was a small metal ball. My new eye.

"This shouldn't hurt as much, Mr. Jean. After this I'll give you the injection and put you to sleep."

"Please just get it over with!"

My head felt like it had a dagger going through it.

The claw lowered down in front of my face.

"Ready?"

"Y- yes."

The claw came down and placed the eye in my socket. I gritted my teeth as I felt it start adjust itself in my head. The last thing I felt was a needle going into my arm before I passed out.